Thirteen cases were disposed of during the criminal assizes that closed today; of those, seven went to trial. But 15 criminal cases were traversed to the next assizes.
“More cases were traversed than dealt with,” Justice Albert Redhead told a room filled with jurors and lawyers. “This paints a dismal picture of non-achievement.”
Mr. Redhead added that he feels the justice system in place in the Virgin Islands facilitates delays, and he criticised the use of case management, which he called “a waste of time.”
He also said lawyers need to make sure witnesses appear in court, alleviating a problem that caused delays in recent trials. “Another cause of delay is that defendants are not given legal aid on time,” Mr. Redhead added. “This must be addressed.”
Of the seven trials that were carried out, charges included robbery, burglary, unlawful sex, theft, wounding, indecent assault and possessing forged currency.
“And once again, I must sincerely thank you jurors for your time,” Mr. Redhead said.
See the July 26, 2012 edition for full coverage.