THREE JUSTICES OF APPEAL yesterday dismissed an application led by Sir Richard Cheltenham QC after he and four fellow attorneys faced a harsh rebuttal from Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Charles Leacock QC.
Sir Richard was applying, despite a Court of Appeal decision last February 5, for an extension for leave to appeal against the sentence of Rohan Rambarran, one of six Guyanese sentenced in December 2009 to a combined 428 years in prison for 28 drug offences involving 91.3 kilogrammes of cannabis and 119.4 kg of cocaine.
Sir Richard argued, based on Dana Seetahal’s Commonwealth Caribbean Practice and Procedure, that there had not been unreasonable time in applying for the extension, and that his client’s appeal had merit.
However, Justice of Appeal Sherman Moore reminded Sir Richard that a decision had been given on February 5 – in relation to Rambarran, Gavin Greene, Lemme Campbell and Somwattie Persaud – that none of those four appellants had a valid appeal against their convictions, and that under Section 19 of the Criminal Appeal Act, an appellant must apply within 21 days of the conviction or verdict. (Coastline Communication)
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