JavaScript is disabled in your web browser or browser is too old to support JavaScript. Today almost all web pages contain JavaScript, a scripting programming language that runs on visitor's web browser. It makes web pages functional for specific purposes and if disabled for some reason, the content or the functionality of the web page can be limited or unavailable.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Khan upset President failed to address state of criminal justice system

by

46 days ago
20250524
Israel Khan, SC

Israel Khan, SC

NICOLE DRAYTON

The Crim­i­nal Bar As­so­ci­a­tion of T&T says it is “to­tal­ly dis­ap­point­ed” that Pres­i­dent Chris­tine Kan­ga­loo failed to ad­dress the is­sues plagu­ing the coun­try’s crim­i­nal jus­tice sys­tem dur­ing the cer­e­mo­ni­al open­ing of 13th Re­pub­li­can Par­lia­ment yes­ter­day.

In a me­dia re­lease, the as­so­ci­a­tion said Kan­ga­loo failed to men­tion “a sin­gle sen­tence about the ab­ject fail­ure of the ad­min­is­tra­tion of crim­i­nal jus­tice in our coun­try.” “There are hun­dreds of per­sons who are pre­sumed to be in­no­cent, locked away in our pris­ons, await­ing tri­als and the crim­i­nal jus­tice sys­tem is at a stand­still. Near­ly all the Mag­is­trates’ Courts in our coun­try are not func­tion­ing and the Crim­i­nal As­sizes Courts are mov­ing at a snail’s pace,” CBTT pres­i­dent Is­rael Khan, SC, said.

Khan added that it is moral­ly wrong that Chief Jus­tice Ivor Archie “sit on his throne” while hun­dreds of ac­cused per­sons await tri­al dates in our courts.

“There are over 600 pend­ing in­quests in­volv­ing po­lice killing of per­sons and no in­quest courts are sched­uled to in­ves­ti­gate and hear the ev­i­dence in­volved in these mat­ters.”

Khan said there is a need for rough­ly 100 ad­di­tion­al lawyers for the Di­rec­tor of Pub­lic Pros­e­cu­tions’ (DPP) of­fice to ad­dress pend­ing crim­i­nal mat­ters.

“Not a word was said by the Pres­i­dent, and re­al­ly who are in our jails, pre­sumed to be in­no­cent, but yet in­car­cer­at­ed, the dis­pos­sessed and down­trod­den per­sons in our coun­try,” Khan said.


Related articles

Sponsored

Weather

PORT OF SPAIN WEATHER

Sponsored

Today's
Guardian

Publications

A model in a costume from The Lost Tribe’s 2026 presentation Island Circus

A model in a costume from The Lost Tribe’s 2026 presentation Island Circus

KERWIN PIERRE

A model in a costume from The Lost Tribe’s 2026 presentation Island Circus

A model in a costume from The Lost Tribe’s 2026 presentation Island Circus

KERWIN PIERRE

Ringmasters of the Road: Crowds flock to Tribe’s circus-themed band launch

Yesterday
Students, principal and staff of St David’s RC Primary, along with the UWTT and Scotiabank Foundation teams at the handover of steelpans at the school.

Students, principal and staff of St David’s RC Primary, along with the UWTT and Scotiabank Foundation teams at the handover of steelpans at the school.

Students, principal and staff of St David’s RC Primary, along with the UWTT and Scotiabank Foundation teams at the handover of steelpans at the school.

Students, principal and staff of St David’s RC Primary, along with the UWTT and Scotiabank Foundation teams at the handover of steelpans at the school.

Scotiabank Foundation, United Way donate steelpans

Yesterday
The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

Jaggasar returns as National Parang president

2 days ago
Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Jamaican Maroons celebrate, question land rights

2 days ago