‘DODGING JURY DUTY IS SLOWING JUSTICE': Davis encourages people to carry out their civic duties

Prime Minister Philip "Brave" Davis speaks during a community meeting at the Fox Hill Community Centre. Photo: Dante Carrer

As of Friday, February 23, 2024

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said a significant challenge to swift justice is the avoidance of jury duty.

“Many Bahamians don’t want to serve,” he said. “We talk about swift justice, but we need to encourage people that when they’re called upon to provide service, to do so as part of their civil duty. But then anytime they see their name, they go try to make excuses to be excused.”

Mr Davis spoke during a Q&A session at the Fox Hill Community Centre, which featured constituency residents.

A man asked the prime minister about solutions to the lack of swift justice, stressing that delays have led to people becoming disgruntled waiting for resolutions.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe speaking at the meeting.

Mr Davis said solving crimes isn’t the issue, with someone arrested or charged in 90 per cent of murder cases. He said the “elephant in the room” for many years is having the necessary resources available in the courts.

He said trials used to finish much quicker and noted the government’s plan to increase the number of judges.

“I would finish a murder trial with the judges within a week,” he said. “The longest trial I had back in the day in a murder was two weeks. That’s a long time. But today, a murder trial taking two, three months. So, something is happening. I’ve raised this matter as well, that we need to see why trials are taking so long.”

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, who attended the event, said he plans to write Chief Justice Sir Ian Winder about various concerns.

“We now have 12 judges who all have five weeks vacation, which is 60 weeks a year, which is over a year of trial time,” he said. “So, we’ll tend to canvass all of the system issues that the prime minister is talking about and perhaps get a bit creative.”

Mr Munroe said there would be talks with the judiciary and private Bar members about expediting the trial process.

ExposedU2C 9 months ago

You show up as a juror but one of the lawyers does not show up, or another day the judge does not show up, or you find that most of your fellow jurors are unemployed or under employed D- educated imbeciles pre-disposed to finding any one more successful than themselves as guilty until proven innocent, etc., etc., etc.

Hard working individuals with a family to feed just don't have the time to contend with all of that nonsense which flies in the face of due process and justice for whomever is on trial. Our judicial system has been broken for decades with many talking all about the problems but no one able to address them.

moncurcool 9 months ago

So Davis and his gussy mae cabinet should lead by example and step up to be the ones doing their civic duty as jurors.

B_I_D___ 9 months ago

Hogwash...we've got a fresh batch of jurors in a holding pattern because the existing court cases are constantly getting delayed and postponed by lawyer shenanigans.

DillyTree 9 months ago

What utter nonsense! There are far bigger issues in the courts than simply showing up for jury duty. Even civil cases with no jury are taking forever -- we are 4 year in on what should be a simple matter. We have been wating for over 4 months for the judge to make a procedural ruling. There are far bigger problems in the courts than Mr. Davis is letting on. Don't blame it on the people!

And what is Mr. Davis doing to protect jurors who would serve in some of these murder cases? With witnesses being gunned down in the streets, why would a juror feel safe "doing his duty"? Are there means of protecting jurors from these thugs?

And it's bad enough jury lists are being issued with people's birth dates. Way to help with financial fraud and other scammers. Why not add our home addresses, phone numbers and NIB numbers...

Come on, Mr. Davis. The people deserve better!

Sickened 9 months ago

Davis is blaming the same people that he depends on for votes - and it's not even the fault of the citizens. The faults lie on all of the things detailed by my fellow commenters above. This man is really out to lunch. Maybe he's suffering from Jet Lag????

John 9 months ago

The two greatest factors affecting jury duty is fear and inconvenience of the jury pool. Firstly in this day and time with the high numbers of murders, persons do have a genuine fear that if they serve on the jury and on the wrong case, there will be retaliation. And this fear is reasonable. Secondly those in the jury pool don’t like the turning around and inconvenience that happens before a jury is being selected. Even though employed persons are supposed to be paid by their employers some do like the inconvenience. Once a trial starte things run more smoothly, but the jury pool must be prepared to be called in on short notice. The good thing is once you serve.. you have that duty accomplished, at least for a year or more.

sheeprunner12 9 months ago

Lawyers just like Davis & Munroe tear apart and discredit jurors who come to sit on cases, even before cases start.

So, do you think Bahamians are going to tolerate getting treated like trash by these uppity loudmouth lawyers with an agenda in courts????

The biggest problem in the courts are (1) the fact that many judges allow the lawyers too much leeway to delay the cases, and (2) the lack of efficiency in providing support evidence documents by PF & medical experts.

The court support services haven't kept pace with the lawyers tactics ....... Hence, case delays are inevitable.

Sickened 9 months ago

Sadly, I have to admit that any of these young punks come into court with red eyes, showing their underwear and got nappy head having obviously never worked a day in their life, then I assume that they're guilty of something and what ever they're accused of his highly probable. If only those young punks can read and comprehend what I'm writing.

TalRussell 9 months ago

There was a time it meant something --- When a premiership, --- Were made to worry about what the popoulaces' are talking about them over on Bay Street's sidewalks.--- Neither Bay Street nor Goombay.---- Are any longer --- Relative to our conversations. --- Yes?

Twocent 9 months ago

Aside from all the bureaucratic nonsense, the fear the gangs put over true justice being done, and the poorly educated citizens called to be jurors ….How can there be any justice in a system heavily influenced by the “owl institute” (a reminder of which hangs in the Supreme Court) and people naturally associated as family and friends?

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