NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Director of public prosecutions (DPP) from 18 Caribbean islands came together at a virtual conference on January 28 and 29 to discuss some of the current difficulties and challenges they collectively face, as organized crime groups exploit structural vulnerabilities and benefit from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize and the British Overseas Territories were all represented at the two-day conference organized by the British High Commission Bridgetown.
The Bahamas was represented by DPP Garvin Gaskin.
The conference, jointly funded by the UK and US governments under the Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) programme, provided a forum to discuss and agree action on serious organized crime, criminal justice reform and prosecutorial matters at the highest level.
Conference delegates heard from regional and international experts on a range of issues, including the resumption of trials after COVID-19 and vulnerable witnesses in serious crime and sexual exploitation cases, recognizing the impact on children as online and offline sexual abuse increased.
Justice of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds and DPP Belize Cheryl-Lynn Vidal presented and led a discussion on trials held with judges alone, in light of the ban on jury trials during the pandemic.
DPPs were treated to a wellness session on productivity and managing stress by Mathew Brown, who was described as a productivity “ninja”.
Legal and administrative issues faced by DPPs were the subject of a roundtable discussion led by Donna Babb-Agard, QC, DPP Barbados, including appeals on points of law during trials and sentencing guidelines.
British High Commission Bridgetown Chargé d’Affaires Craig Fulton, in opening the conference, recognized that the last year had presented challenges that significantly affected DPPs.
Noting the importance of the conference, he said: “My hope is that DPPs can identify some of the regional best practices in the fight against serious organized crime and explore the potential for a collaborative approach in policy-making in these areas in the Caribbean.”
Matthew V Cassetta, director INL at the US Embassy in Barbados, noted the conference themes echoed the Joint Action Statement of the ninth Caribbean-US Security Cooperation Dialog.
He mentioned the increased attention paid to protecting the rights of vulnerable populations, such as youth, women and minorities, and said these were topics of striking relevance to all at this moment in history.
Criminal Justice Adviser to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Sirah Abraham, whose post is funded by the US and the UK, lauded the conference as yet another demonstration of the US’ and UK’s commitment to supporting the role of the DPP, especially in the context of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Loading ...
