Proceedings in the Home Circuit Court were held up yesterday for almost 40 minutes because the sole prisoner truck which has to transport prisoners to courts in the Corporate area was late.

Supreme Court Judge Kay Beckford described the late arrival as "total indiscipline" and called on police officials to conduct high-level meetings to solve the problem.

The judge emphasised that the courts were gazetted to start at 10 a.m. each day, and that that should be adhered to. The Home Circuit Court and the Gun Court have a huge backlog of cases and, despite pledges each term to reduce the backlog, a large number of cases is traversed from one term to the next.

Only one truck

Commenting further yesterday on the late arrival of prisoners, Miss Justice Beckford referred to the indiscipline in the society which was so often spoken about.

She said: "If the courts are expected to start at 10:00 a.m. and don't start, then that is total indiscipline."

A policeman told The Gleaner that there was now only one prisoner truck transporting prisoners to and from court.

He said it was difficult to get the prisoners to court on time with just one truck.