Will DPP Office ‘No Show, No Call’ cause criminal cases to be Dropped?

Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

#TurksandCaicos, May 2, 2024 – On a bright and early Monday morning (15th April, 2024) in the Supreme Court before presiding lady Justice Ms. Tanya Lobban-Jackson and before His Honor The Chief Magistrate Jolyon Hatmin in the Magistrate’s Court, both courts were once again unable to proceed on its scheduled commencement time due to non or failure of attendance by the Prosecution of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

Given the fact that this has now happened on more than one occasion, in both the Supreme and Magistrate’s Courts, judges and the learned Chief Magistrate have reached its final straw; they have cited the ‘no shows’ as a disrespect and a disregard for prompt and proper time management to be in attendance for legal proceedings.

From this reporters’ perspective, it appears the prosecution shows up when they like, any time they please and some are guilty of not showing at all without a call or message of explanation for the absenteeism.  The repeated instances have been called, “embarrassing” for the Office of the DPP, when defense counsel and the accused are present in the courtroom but the prosecutor is a ‘no-show, no call, no text.’

On at least two or three occasions, the Supreme Court judge was forced to return to her Chambers; exiting the court with a strongly worded warning, only to return with there still being no member of the Director of Public Prosecution present in court.

There has also been a promise that even serious cases could be dismissed due to this inappropriate practice.

In the final weeks of April, the country learned of a review by a KC out of the UK, who was looking into case progression at the DPPs office.  The Office has also hired a new Director, Philip Bennetts, KC, who takes office in the beginning of June, informed a TCIG media release.