SUNDAY 8TH OCTOBER, 2006
“SWIFT JUSTICE”
JULY – SEPTEMBER, 2006 STATISTICS
THE SWIFT JUSTICE INITIATIVE BEGAN AS A PILOT PROJECT. THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SWIFT JUSTICE IS A TEAM EFFORT REQUIRING ALL OUR JUDICIAL INSTITUTIONS INCLUDING THE POLICE, THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT, THE COURTS AND THE PRISON TO WORK SMOOTHLY WITH THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. HOWEVER, UNLESS AND UNTIL CITIZENS THROUGHOUT THIS BEAUTIFUL ARCHIPELAGO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE “SWIFT JUSTICE” FOR ALL, WE HAVE NOT REALLY SUCCEEDED IN OUR INITIATIVE.
IT IS WITH THIS THOUGHT IN MIND THAT I WAS HEARTENED BY THE COMMENT ON THE ZNS NEWSCAST OF FRIDAY 6TH OCTOBER, 2006, WHICH QUOTED THE FATHER OF A DECEASED VICTIM IN THE NOTORIOUS CORDELL FARRINGTON MURDER TRIAL, THAT FINALLY HE NOW SEES AND FEELS THE EFFECTS OF “SWIFT JUSTICE”. HIS COMMENTS CAME I BELIEVE AT THE CONCLUSION OF A SENTENCING HEARING WHERE FARRINGTON THE MAN CHARGED WITH THE MURDER OF MR. ROBBIN’S ONLY SON, JAMAAL, AGED 22, WAS BOTH CONVICTED AND SENTENCED TO DEATH, NOW THE ULTIMATE PUNISHMENT.
THE HONOURABLE MADAME SENIOR JUSTICE ANITA ALLEN DESCRIBED THE CORDELL FARRINGTON CASE AS A “PREMEDITATED, WILLFUL AND COLD BLOODED ATTACK” ON AN INNOCENT, UNSUSPECTING AND DEFENSELESS VICTIM. HAVING GIVEN THE CASE SCRUPULOUS CARE AND ATTENTION. THE LEARNED JUDGE MADAME SENIOR JUSTICE ALLEN FOUND THE OBJECT OF THE PUNISHMENT WAS RETRIBUTION. SHE FOUND THAT THE OBJECTIVE COULD NOT BE PROPERLY ACHIEVED BY ANY OTHER SENTENCE, THAN DEATH.
SWIFT JUSTICE IS INTENDED TO ACHIEVE EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT AND TIMELY RESULTS IN ALL MATTERS PLACED BEFORE THE COURTS FOR BOTH COMPLAINANTS AND ACCUSED PERSONS ALIKE.
WE AT OAG NOTE THE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR OUR EFFORTS. MR. ROBBINS IS QUOTED AS SAYING, “THE PROSECUTION DID A WONDERFUL JOB ON THE CASE. I APPRECIATE WHAT THEY DID FOR MY FAMILY AND MY SON. JUSTICE WAS SERVED TODAY.” AFTER COMMENTING ABOUT SWIFT JUSTICE, HE CONTINUES, “AND TODAY WE SEE THAT HAPPENING WITH A MAN BEING SWIFTLY CAUGHT AND SWIFTLY PUNISHED AND I AM PLEASED AND HAPPY AT THIS OUTCOME.”
I WANT TO JOIN THE PUBLIC IN COMMENDING MY TEAM AT OAG FOR THEIR HARD WORK. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE POLICE FORCE AND OTHER AGENCIES FOR THEIR FULL COLLABORATION IN THESE EFFORTS.
I ALSO WISH TO ADVISE THE PUBLIC THAT TODAY MRS. CHERYL GRANT BETHELL LEAVES FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM TO ATTEND A COURSE ON ACCESS TO JUSTICE. THIS MATTER IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO PERSONS INVOLVED IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE IN MANY COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR HER SAFE JOURNEY AND IN CLAIMING THE FRUIT OF THE COURSE FOR BAHAMIANS AS SHE AND OTHERS CONTINUE THEIR WORK OF IMPROVING THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE IN THE BAHAMAS.
I ALSO WANT TO ADVISE THE PUBLIC THAT THIS SUMMER THE DIRECTOR OF LEGAL AFFAIRS ALSO ATTENDED A COURSE IN LONDON THAT WILL ENABLE MORE EFFICIENCY TO BE BROUGHT TO BEAR ON THE CIVIL SIDE OF CHAMBERS.
THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE AWARE THAT AS ATTORNEY GENERAL I AM COMMITTED TO INVESTING IN THE BEST RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC’S TEAM AT OAG. THIS INCLUDES THE BEST IN TECHNOLOGY, ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND FURTHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO RESTORE THE REPUTATION OF THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO THE PREEMINIENT LAW CHAMBERS IN THE BAHAMAS.
WE HAVE CALLED UP FOR RE-SENTENCING ALL PRISONERS SENTENCED TO DEATH BY CURRENTLY SITTING JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT, AS A RESULT OF THE FORRESTER BOWE & TRONO DAVIS, PRIVY COUNCIL DECISION.
ON THE 7TH & 8TH NOVEMBER, 2006, THE RE-SENTENCING HEARING OF PRISONERS FORRESTER BOWE AND TRONO DAVIS WILL BE HEARD. HER MAJESTY’S PRIVY COUNCIL HAS RECENTLY QUASHED THE SENTENCE OF KEITH JONES AND REMITTED HIS MATTER TO THE SUPREME COURT FOR RE-SENTENCING. A DATE WILL BE SET SHORLTY FOR THE RE-SENTENCING OF THIS MATTER. THE MATTERS OF ROBERT GREENE AND RONALD SIMMONS WILL BE SENTENCED BEFORE JUSTICE ALLEN ON THE 14TH & 15TH NOVEMBER, 2006. THE MATTER OF ANGELO BRENNEN WILL ALSO BE RE-SENTENCED.
ON FRIDAY LAST (6TH OCTOBER 2006) MR. JUSTICE ISAACS DISMISSED THE HABEAS CORPUS APPLICATION OF TWO PRISONERS OMAR HALL & BRIAN SCHROETER WHO SOUGHT RELEASE AS A RESULT OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL BOWE & DAVIS RULING.
AS A COMMUNITY, WE ARE ALSO HEARTENED BY THE RESULTS OF THE RECENT CASE OF ALUTUS NEWBOLD.
THIS CASE INVOLVED THE BURGLARY OF THE DWELLING HOME AND THE ATTEMPTED RAPE AND CAUSING HARM OF AN 87 YEAR OLD MOTHER, GRAND MOTHER AND GREAT GRAND MOTHER OF ORANGE CREEK, CAT ISLAND. WE WERE ABLE TO BRING JUSTICE IN THIS MATTER IN TWO (2) SHORT YEARS.
THE CROWN SECURED A CONVICTION. THE JUDGE, JUSTICE JON ISAACS SENT A STRONG MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY WITH HIS SENTENCE OF SIXTEEN (16) YEARS FOR BURGLARY , SIX (6) FOR ATTEMPTED RAPE AND TWO (2) YEARS FOR CAUSING HARM. THE JUDGE ALSO ORDERED 8 EIGHT STROKES OF THE ROD – FOUR UPON THE PRISONER’S ENTRY INTO THE PRISON AND FOUR (4) IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE FROM THE PRISON.
I HAVE OFTEN USED THE BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE THAT WHEN “JUSTICE IS NOT SWIFT, WICKEDNESS GROWS IN THE HEARTS OF MEN.” WE WOULD WISH JUSTICE TO BE EQUALLY SWIFT IN THE UNLAWFUL SEXUAL INTERCOURSE CASE INVOLVING ANDREW BRIDGEWATER FOR WHICH WE ARE SEEKING TO FILE A VOLUNTARY BILL OF INDICTMENT BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH AND A TRIAL BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT INTERFERENCE WITH WITNESSES IN CRIMINAL MATTERS.
I WISH TO SEND A STRONG MESSAGE TO ANY PERSONS WHO MAY CONTEMPLATE KILLING INNOCENT WITNESSES IN ORDER TO PREVENT THEM FROM COMING TO COURT TO GIVE EVIDENCE. FIRSTLY BE REMINDED THAT THE BAHAMIAN LEGISLATURE, RECENTLY PASSED UNANIMOUSLY LEGISLATION WHICH PROVIDES FOR THE USE OF THE STATEMENT OF A WITNESS WHO DIES OR CANNOT BE LOCATED AT THE TIME OF TRIAL AND SECONDLY, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WE HAVE PROVIDED LEGISLATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF WITNESSES.
ALL MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT WERE OF ONE ACCORD. AND WE AT OAG WILL NOT BE DETERED NOR INTIMIDATED IN THE DELIVERY OF JUSTICE.