Caption: Minister of Justice Devesh Maharaj, second left, at the press conference with Prime MinisterKamla Persad-Bissessar and Minister of Homeland Secuirty, left

By Faith Edwards

PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has voiced concern about the pace of judgements and inconsistency in sentencing within the judiciary.

Speaking at the Post-Cabinet Media Briefing at the Red House on Thursday, Persad-Bissessar said the government plans to meet soon with the Chief Justice and Minister of Justice to discuss how best to support the judiciary, which has been “crying out” for assistance for some time.

“Every year we see issues with accounting, physical infrastructure, staffing, scheduling, and the delivery of judgements and cases,” Persad-Bissessar said.

She added that some judges take years to deliver judgements, raising concerns about delays in the justice system. “We want to get more information from the Chief Justice to ascertain if it’s a staffing issue or a procedural issue before making further comments on the basis of delivery of judgments,” said Persad-Bissessar.

Persad-Bissessar also highlighted troubling inequalities in sentencing. She cited recent examples, including a man sentenced to four years in prison for possessing an illegal handgun allegedly for family protection, contrasted with a case from a few years ago where two individuals caught with a high-powered rifle and $3 million worth of marijuana were fined $20,000 each.

“This inconsistency in sentencing is something our Minister of Justice will be applying his mind to. Something is very wrong with inconsistent sentences being handed down,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar further pointed out concerns about transparency in high-profile cases, noting that “up to today, no one can tell us the status of the stepdaughter of a former minister, but everyday cases involving average citizens have been plastered across the media.”