Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

A Supreme Court Judge has called for a disposal of cases on the Home Circuit Court list that are going nowhere.

Miss Justice Paulette Williams made the plea after some of the problems plaguing the justice system were outlined.

The judge, who was closing the Hilary session of the Home Circuit Court, said she hoped that the Circuit court did not become a mention court.

During the term, only 48 of the 272 cases scheduled for trial during the Hilary term were disposed.

The judge along with Acting Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Lisa Palmer, described the disposal rate as very disappointing.

The other 224 cases were transferred to the next session of the Home Circuit Court, which commences on April 11.

Absent witnesses

Palmer said absent witnesses was one of the major problems and stressed that greater effort must be made to secure witnesses to attend court.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Neville Knight told The Gleaner that one of the problems the court faced was late arrival of prisoners because there was only one "old" prisoner truck transporting prisoners in the Corporate Area. He said since 2005 the Ministry had promised to get five new prisoner trucks but that had not yet materialised.