Such confessions could rule out allegations of police beatings, of heads being flushed in toilets, and of bags filled with spray being placed over accused heads, since if such incidents really did take place, they would be captured on tape.

However, Sir David said that while progress had been made towards paving the way for taped confessions, it was time for Section 72 of the Evidence Act to come of age, and police stations retrofitted to accommodate the recording of such statements.

He made these comments in the Court of Appeal

as he presided over an appeal with Justices of Appeal Peter Williams and Frederick Waterman.

Recordings

"From the time we bring in electronic recordings of confessions the rate of guilty pleas will increase because accused people will not be able to come to court and make allegations of beatings because it will all be on tape," he said.

Last November, then Attorney-General Dale Marshall announced plans to have facilities at police stations ready to accommodate recorded confessions, and other oral statements to be produced as evidence in law courts.

Proper interview rooms

However, while the point was made that lawmen were trained to videotape confessions, the challenge was the absence of proper interview rooms at police stations.

To date, only the Glebe Police Station in St George has facilities to accommodate videotaped confessions.

However, police stations under construction or to be built at Crab Hill, St Lucy; Tamarind Hall, St Joseph; Wildey, St Michael; Belleplaine, St Andrew; and Cane Garden, St Thomas, will also have facilities for videotaped confessions.

Meanwhile, police officers will be given refresher training in the process. (JR-B)