The major backlog of criminal cases at the Supreme Court of Judicature has been reduced by 101 cases after they were disposed of by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chambers in 2020.
The goal delivery was done by Justice Navindra Singh on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, bringing to an end the Demerara October 2020 Criminal Assizes.
Statistics released by the DPP showed that out of the 101 cases, 83 received attention in the High Court while 18 matters were nolle prosequi (not prosecuted) by the DPP.
Of the 83 cases, 62 were presented at the Demerara Assizes, 15 at the Berbice Assizes, and six at the Essequibo Assizes.
There were 63 cases for the offence of murder, three cases for attempt to commit murder, 15 cases for sexual offences, and two cases for the offence of manslaughter.
These cases resulted in 12 convictions,53 guilty pleas, nine formal verdicts of not guilty, five not guilty verdicts by jury, five hung juries, three aborted trials, one quashed indictment, and 18 cases were nolle prosequi.
During the October Criminal Assizes, Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, Justice Brassington Reynolds, Justice Jo-Ann Barlow, Justice Navindra Singh, and Justice Sandil Kissoon sat.
