The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY General Ryan Pinder said officials are in the process of reviewing appropriate locations for speciality courts to ensure the proper administration of justice.

Among these is a court that will only hear matters related to sexual offences, Mr Pinder said.

Other courts to be placed at appropriate locations include a Juvenile Court, Family Court and Commercial Court.

He said in the first instance there would be a review of buildings already under lease by the government to see if any can accommodate speciality courts.

“We also believe that the efficient administration of justice is not only a necessary obligation to the Bahamian people, but likewise will also significantly contribute to the ease of doing business and international perception of a place people feel comfortable doing business,” Mr Pinder said during a contribution in the Senate.

“I have been working with the Chief Justice and other members of the Bar to identify the way forward in this regard. In the first instance, it is the consensus that a series of ‘speciality’ courts is required, not only for the proper administration of justice, but also in order to ensure the efficiency we all desire. This is a rather involved process as suitable facilities need to be identified and retrofitted appropriately, and then the operational implementation must be rolled out.

“In the first instance, we will conduct a review of buildings already under lease by the government to see if any can accommodate the speciality courts,” he said.

“We will seek the necessary technical advice in their establishment, and seek the necessary legislative amendments necessary to make them happen.

“This in my opinion, and the opinion of others is a fundamental element of increasing the effective and efficient delivery of justice.

The government also plans to move the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) as well as the Freedom of Information Unit (FOI).

Mr Pinder said both will move into renovated spaces at the Bahamas Financial Centre.

He said the Financial Centre space was secured in January 2021 by the former government and former Attorney General, however the space was never used nor renovated.

“One year of vacant possession at the cost to the Bahamian taxpayer. We will ensure that the leased space is occupied with a new and cutting-edge delivery of services from the RGD and the FOI,” said Mr Pinder.

“Necessary expenditure from our budget this year will be for the continued digitisation project for the RGD. The functions of the RGD are imperative not only for the social welfare of the country with marriages, births, deaths and necessary registrations, but it is also the backbone of an effective commercial delivery, being the department responsible for everything company and entity related, both domestically and internationally. For too long the functions of the RGD have been plagued by inadequate facilities, technology that doesn’t function appropriately, service delivery issues and a lack of organisation and maintenance of orderly files and documentation.

“These vexing issues are currently in the process of being remediated by the move to new facilities, and the development of a purpose-built online platform for the delivery of these vital functions.

“The government has retained a firm to develop an online platform for the RGD that will be modelled after the successful Cayman Island RGD platform, allowing for the delivery of services to all parties online and in as expedited a fashion as possible. This will go a long way to improving the ease of doing business,” Mr Pinder said yesterday.