The government is considering assigning additional lawyers to help police prosecutors prepare criminal files after too many cases were thrown out, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has disclosed.
Browne said stronger laws would have limited impact unless investigations and prosecution files were properly prepared. He announced that police prosecutors would receive continuing training as part of the response.
Two police officers are also expected to receive full scholarships to study law at The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, with the long-term aim of strengthening the prosecution team within the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The initiative forms part of a broader crime-fighting package that includes expanded surveillance, drones with night-vision capability, more stop-and-search exercises and changes to sentencing laws.
The Prime Minister did not identify the cases that had failed because of weak preparation, but said the government wanted to improve performance at every stage of the criminal justice process.
