- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 03:39

Justice Minister to support DPP, boost law courts

JUSTICE Minister Devesh Maharaj vowed to boost the efficacy of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the police service, and provide more law courts in far-flung areas, speaking on the Mid-Year Review on June 23 in the House of Representatives. Saying families, crime victims and communities have all felt forgotten, he said the work of his ministry was to be a central plank of the new administration. He singled out Cedros, La Brea and Moruga as distant places that once enjoyed access to the justice system but had since had their magistrates courts closed. Residents of Moruga must now travel to Princes Town to access a law court, while residents of La Brea and Cedros go to Point Fortin, he related. "That is a thing of the past – we will make sure. "Why are the poor people so underserved in this country? This government has come to power on the basis of service to all." Maharaj said under the TT Constitution, the DPP was authorised to discontinue a case. By that fact, he was surprised that the Office of the Attorney General (AG) received a letter on June 10 from the DPP noting the many occasions in 2023 and 2024 when he had written to the former AG but got no response. Maharaj cited the DPP's letter to express the latter's concerns that the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act 2023 – popularly known as AJIPA – was deficient and now needed several amendments. The concerns over AJIPA included the act's definition of police officers, the admissibility of computer-generated evidence, and the issuing of search warrants. Accusing the former government of ignoring correspondence from the DPP, Maharaj said, "Our attorney general has already started to respond." He said the government was concerned about the administration of justice and access to justice. Maharaj was quite concerned that under AJIPA the police were not getting adequate access to search warrants against suspects due to a certain unavailability of magistrates and justices of the peace to issue search warrants at antisocial hours. He said he noticed his colleague, Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander getting excited at his revelations, even as Alexander vigorously nodded at Maharaj's observations. "The Office of the Attorney General is currently drafting these amendments to assist the police in their crime fighting." He accused the former government of a complete disregard of the DPP's office. "We intend to show (the DPP), we are listening to you. "We will restore public trust." He said the government had taken the first step to restore trust by last week appointing a substantive commissioner of police in the person of Allister Guevarro, after what he termed "musical chairs" had taken place to fill the post under the former government. Maharaj said with the DPP, the government would take its second step to bring back public trust. "We are bringing back trust." The post Justice Minister to support DPP, boost law courts appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.