Sexual offences, murder account for majority of cases at Demerara Criminal Assizes

]Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC]

Cases for the capital offence of murder and sexual offences account for the majority of cases listed for hearing at the April Demerara Criminal Assizes, according to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC.

She made this revelation on Tuesday when she addressed Judges of the Supreme Court of Judicature, Magistrates, members of the Bar, and other judicial officers at the opening of the April Demerara Criminal Assizes at the Victoria Law Courts in Georgetown.

Of the 354 cases listed for trial, the DPP disclosed that a staggering 174 of them are for sexual offences. These include rape, sexual penetration with a child under 16, sexual activity with a child by abusing a position of trust, sexual activity with a child family member, sexual assault, and incest by males, among others.

“Sexual offences are prevalent and they contribute to the largest number of cases listed for hearing,” Ali-Hack said, adding that there are 75 cases for the offence of murder in which all the accused persons have been on remand for varying periods.

Apart from sexual offences and murder, the other cases listed for hearing, include manslaughter, attempt to commit murder, trafficking in narcotics, abduction, inflicting grievous bodily harm, robbery under arms, and conspiracy to commit murder.

The constitutional office holder stressed that fundamental to the upholding of the rule of law is the conduct of Police ranks in their investigations, the professional conduct of the prosecutors in the prosecution of charges along with the court ensuring that cases are afforded a fair hearing within a reasonable time.

The Senior Counsel said that the Office of the DPP, which deals strictly with the prosecution of cases, is one of the offices involved in the upholding of the rule of law.  She explained that the upholding of the rule of law is fundamental in a democracy, failing which, there will be anarchy or in other words a state of disorder.

According to her, 2020 saw many challenges around the world given the advent of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic. She noted that the judicial system was not spared from the wrath of the pandemic, noting that courts had to be closed but were gradually reopened under strict Covid-19 guidelines.

“Despite whatever was happening people continued to commit crimes,” she added.

In an effort to ensure timely access to justice and to safeguard the public, judicial officers, lawyers, litigants, court staff and members of the public, the DPP highlighted that the majority of court cases were done remotely via audio/ video link.

She said that prisoners are no longer brought to the court as was the practice before Covid-19, adding that, they too, appeared remotely. Lawyers, she said, also have the option of appearing in-person or remotely and judicial officers.

Judges/Magistrates, on the other hand, can choose whether they want to have remote or in-person hearings. Although the government has lifted most of the Covid-19 restrictions, the courts will continue to conduct their business remotely.

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC; Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards; Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, SC ; and President of the Bar Association of Guyana Pauline Chase also delivered remarks at the ceremonial opening of the assizes.