Over 130 cases for St Ann four-week Circuit Court
St Ann’s Bay, St Ann — The Michaelmas term of the St Ann Circuit Court, which started on Monday, is expected to last for four weeks, but with a caseload of approximately 133 cases, there is concern about how much work will get done.
Of the 133 matters before the court, only 11 are said to be new matters while 41 are gun-related matters.
Speaking at the opening of the session on Monday, presiding high court judge Justice Lloyd Hibbert said it would be difficult to make any serious impact to the load in such a short period of time. He called on members of the private bar to play their part in ensuring that the justice process is not unnecessarily delayed over the course of the next four weeks.
Justice Hibbert also called on citizens to ensure that justice is served by refusing to cower in fear while criminals continue their attack on society.
“When they know no one will be coming forward, they become bolder,” he stated.
He pointed to the common practice of people demonstrating with placards and calling for justice when acts of crime are committed against them or their community, and made the point that these same people are often eyewitnesses, but fail to give statements to the police.
That reluctance, Justice Hibbert said, emboldens criminals. He cautioned, too, that if the silent tradition continues, “it will get worse”.
He also called on citizens to play their roles as jurors. According to Justice Hibbert, before 10 am on Monday only nine jurors had registered. When court started, roughly 20 jurors were present. Eighty-seven individuals were served to carry out jury duty.
“Not every person who ask to be excused will be excused,” Justice Hibbert said, citing cases of people who present medical certificates purporting that they are ill, even when they are not, as a means of being excused.
He pointed out that it could soon become a criminal offence for people to shy away from jury duty; however, he said he hoped it would not get to that stage.