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Lawmakers, prosecutors, investigators meet to boost justice system
Jessica de Grazia
By Tusika Martin
Local prosecutors and police investigators were yesterday brought together with the main players in the local justice system in an effort to close the gaps in prosecution that usually give the defense ammunition to obtain acquittals.
This one-day programme is a pilot training course developed by the administration under the Guyana’s Modernisation of Justice Administration Programme.
It was intended to assess and enhance prosecutors’ skill in evaluating the quality of a police investigation, providing sound investigative advice to the police.
The programme is also aimed at helping prosecutors prepare cases effectively for presentation at Preliminary Inquiries and trials in ensuring a high probably of success.
Speaking with Kaieteur News, facilitator of the programme, Jessica de Grazia, who is a former senior investigative and trial prosecutor in the Manhattan DA’s Office in New York City, said that they are teaching police and prosecutors how to investigate cases thoroughly and fairly to ensure that the right person is charged with the right offence.
She said that prosecutors were also being trained to ensure that when the case goes to trial in the High Court there is a high probably of conviction.
“The most important factor in convincing a jury to convict is a well prepared and thoroughly investigated case. So we are training prosecutors how to advise the police to prepare a case properly…if the case is well prepared, the jury will convict,” de Grazia said.
Yesterday, she said, although the lower ranks were working in the presence of judges, everyone was participating fully and showing their enthusiasm to learn.
De Grazia added that the high calibre of professionals from the justice system that were present— Justice Claudette Singh, Chief Justice Ian Chang and Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack, — shared their experiences.
Also there was former Chancellor now head of the Police Complaints Authority, Justice Cecil Kennard.
She added that it is very important for the current generation of investigators and prosecutors, who are young and inexperienced in comparison to the former prosecutors, to hear what the ‘wise old heads’ have to say and to hear what it was like in their days.
“The job of the defence is to make as many arguments as is possible in order to get the judgment that they want…We need good judges to determine the true interpretation of the law,” she said.
The prosecutors must also be able to ensure that they convince the judge that their interpretation of the law is accurate and so be able to convince the judges.
Mrs De Grazia, who was also involved in the reform of the prosecution services in England, had worked previously in Guyana in interviewing major participants within the criminal justice system.
She along with other consultants has been observing the justice system in order to indentify some of the major problems and how the prosecution functions is being carried out and what can be done to improve the prosecution of cases.
“We have been doing a diagnostic analysis,” she told this newspaper.
The programme brought together for the first time, police prosecutors and senior police officers, the entire legal staff of the DPP Chambers, former high ranking prosecutors and others so that different perspectives, knowledge, experiences and insights can be shared through frank and open discussions.
Yesterday’s programme was also aimed at analyzing the obstacles to achieving high quality outcomes in serious crime cases.
The participants will help Guyana’s Modernization of Justice Administration Programme identify ways in which prosecutors and police, working together with the judiciary, magistracy, and the public can improve the likelihood that people who have committed serious crimes will be brought to justice.
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