The Attorney General’s office is investigating a number of cases where persons were acquitted for murder, due in some part to witnesses failing to appear in court.
According to Chief of Public Prosecutions Bernard Turner, the AG’s office is concerned about the number of acquittals, which he said had increased in the last two years and particularly in the last few weeks.
Therefore, he said legislation is being drafted to address this.
The AG’s office is looking at increasing penalties for witnesses who do not appear in court, and for those penalties to be stiffer for police officers who fail to do their duty.
Also, Mr. Turner said they are looking to make, where constitutionally permissable, a greater use of witness statements. Prosecutors want specifically to be able to use witness statements even in the event of their disappearance or death.
Mr. Turner said the legislation will include rules for increased witness protection to alleviate witness tampering and intimidation.
He said there would also be stiff penalties if prosecutors found evidence of tampering or great changes in a witnesses’ testimony from the time they made the initial police report until their appearance in the Supreme Court.
Source: Felicity Ingraham, The Tribune
