AT LEAST ONE law firm has on its books 37 accused murderers on the streets of Barbados, according to eminent jurist Elliott Mottley.
He made this startling revelation on Friday night during a heated exchange with Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson, after his predecessor Sir David Simmons delivered a lecture entitled Sustaining the Judicial Branch of Government For 50th After Independence at the Supreme Court building.
Mottley was at the time responding to Sir Marston’s response to concerns raised by criminal justice adviser to the British High Commission, Sirah Abraham, about the length of time that 50 per cent of people at Her Majesty’s Prisons Dodds were awaiting trial.
In his response Sir Marston advocated a practice direction that allowed remanded people the option of pleading guilty to offences. He stressed that, “if they are not guilty then they should not plead guilty”. (SDB Media)