by HEATHER-LYNN EVANSON

A BACKLOG of unfinished probation reports has been keeping one High Court on pause.

And today, the new Chief Probation Officer Dorita Lovell will be called to the No. 5 Supreme Court to explain why.

Yesterday, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Charles Leacock, QC, expressed his displeasure at the state of affairs as yet another matter had to be adjourned because the probation report was not available.

In addition, presiding Justice William Chandler said the delays were keeping the court back from sentencing a number of people, some of whom had been on remand at HMP Dodds from last October.

The matter that caused the comments was that of 50-year-old Charles Thompson, a well-digger, of St Hill Road, Carrington Village, St Michael, who, on October 2, 2007, pleaded guilty to having explosives in his home without a licence on March 23, 2005.

A probation report was ordered then but, up to yesterday, was still not available.

"This is unsatisfactory, the question of reports taking such a long time," said the DPP.

"I would like the court to summons the Chief Probation Officer to ask her why the reports are taking so long."

Still waiting

Leacock said the matter was called back up last October 18, last November 20, March 18 this year, and yesterday, and "we are still waiting on a report".

"Why should the court end up waiting for seven months for a report that is going to be two pages long?" the DPP asked rhetorically.

Justice Chandler, too, expressed displeasure, saying the court was ready to bring closure to the matter but could not because of the outstanding report.

"This is causing us a certain measure of discomfort. We do need to have them because they are holding up the process," the judge said. "This is really not in the best interest of the running of the courts."

However, the judge said the court would give Lovell "the courtesy of a call" instead of a summons to get her to court today.

Deputy Chief Probation Officer Ikin Alleyne said he had been given a list of outstanding reports, was trying to track down some and had taken it upon himself to do others.

Thompson's matter was later adjourned until June 9.

Last October, a number of people pleaded guilty before Justice Chandler and the court ordered probation reports on them.

However, many of the cases had to be adjourned until this year because the reports were not ready or had not yet been assigned.