In keeping with the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) earlier this year repealing the committal powers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Attorney General Anil Nandlall SC on Monday tabled a bill in the National Assembly to vest that power in a High Court judge.
Back in March, the Trinidad-based court of last resort for Guyana in a unanimous ruling annulled Section 72 of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, by which the DPP was empowered to order the committal of a murder accused for trial, even though a magistrate would have found no prima facie evidence to so do.
The apex court found that the provision contravened Guyana’s Constitution and struck it down.