In a night that focused on the protection of the nation, Attorney General Alfred Sears expressed concerns regarding the slow pace of the delivery of justice due to archaic practices in the system and pledged his government's commitment to bring courts into the technological age as he addressed the opening session of the Progressive Liberal Party's national convention.
"I acknowledge that it takes too long to dispose of the cases before our courts," Minister Sears told delegates gathered at the Wyndham Nassau Resort. "Defendants in criminal matters must wait years from arrest to sentence and plaintiffs must wait years from the filing of civil actions to trial; thereby, undermining public confidence in the administration of justice."
The government is proceeding with the modernization of the courts through the Bahamas Integrated Justice Information System, he said.
Minister Sears sees the move as a progressive one as it moves the court system away from manual operations – which he pointed out is prone to human error – to a computerized system.
The Judicial Enforcement Management Software and the Law Enforcement Management Software have already been installed in the courts, the police and prison departments, he revealed.
By January, it is expected that these units in the judicial system will have an integrated justice network which will enable the sharing of common offence and offender information.
In addition, Minister Sears said his office has acquired 30 new computers to accommodate this new technology.
For years, officials have noted that the courts have been strained by insufficient resources and inadequate facilities. Improvements are ahead, the attorney general promised.
He said that he is looking for an appropriate location for the housing of the Supreme Court, which is presently located in Bank Lane .
And while Minister Sears and his team move to improve the inadequacies in the courts, there is also another crucial area of justice that he feels his government should focus on.
"The threat of terrorism cannot be ignored," Minister Sears said.
He said authorities are circulating a draft bill on Anti-Terrorism and the Financing of Terrorism, which will be presented to Parliament soon.
These improvements in the administration of justice, though important, are not enough to protect our nation in the long term
"The long-term protection of our nation can only be secured through education," he said.
This statement provided an appropriate transition to another important area of Minister Sears' portfolio: Education.
As he did previously in the House of Assembly, Minister Sears outlined the repairs and extension to public schools.
During the 2002 summer break, 30 of 46 facilities in New Providence , Grand Bahama , Eleuthera, Exuma and Andros were repaired at a cost of $2 million, he said.
Minister Sears told delegates that the remaining 16 projects will be completed in "due course."
The Minister responsible for education also revealed that over the next few weeks, he will announce the appointment of several committees and commissions.
These will include the National Commission for Special Education and the National Commission for Technical and Vocation Education and Training, he said.
By Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
