By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

EVEN if they focused solely on criminal cases in 2013, the 12 current Supreme Court judges could not clear the backlog of outstanding cases, Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson yesterday.

In response to the growing backlog, which Mrs Maynard-Gibson called a “grave concern”, the top prosecutors in her office have been chosen to tackle cases under the re-implemented “Swift Justice” initiative.

“The office of the Attorney Gerenal has created a division, led by the former solicitor general and the former OC of prosecutions, whose sole responsibility is the administration of criminal cases,” she said during yesterday’s official opening of the legal year.

“Its audit of matters in OAG (Office of the Attorney General) from 2002 to date reveals that the number of matters outstanding in OAG is such that if 12 judges of the Supreme Court sat hearing only criminal matters for all of 2013 the backlog of cases would not be cleared by the end of 2013.

“I ask you to note that this audit does not include matters before 2002. This is cause for grave concern. As an important step in addressing this matter all members of the prosecution team have been mobilised to trials.”

Mrs Maynard-Gibson said the team is headed by Director of Public Prosecutions Vinette Graham-Allen along with her deputies Franklyn Williams and Garvin Gaskin.

“It is our intention to aggressively move matters to trial so that backlog is at a manageable and acceptable level as soon as possible” Mrs Maynard-Gibson said.

“Swift Justice has been re-implemented. A renewed collaboration between stakeholders is resulting for the most part in VBIs (Voluntary Bills of Indictment) being presented when scheduled and fewer trials being vacated from the court calendar for matters within the control of the state.”

“We are committed to working closely with the court so that as soon as one case is finished, another will be ready to start. Judges sit every day, ready, willing and able to hear matters and we are making every effort to ensure that valuable judicial time is not wasted,” Mrs Maynard-Gibson said.

She also noted the office’s goal to have cases fast-tracked to the Supreme Court within 30 days of arraignment before Magistrate’s Court.

“This will in turn maximise the possibility of serious matters being tried within a reasonable period,” she said.