Edmond Campbell, Senior News Coordinator

Llewellyn: I don't think that Jamaica understands how frustrating it is, and how it renders the system impotent, when witnesses do not come forward because of fear.

PROPOSED PLANS by the Government to use technology, through video link, to encourage witnesses to come forward, has received the full backing of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn.

The DPP argued yesterday that the fear of giving evidence in court rendered the judicial system impotent.

DNA evidence

The DPP has also declared support for the administration's move towards facili tating greater use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) evidence. Llewellyn is also advocating the acceptance of a majority verdict in respect of non-capital murder cases.

Addressing a joint select committee of Parliament yesterday, Llewellyn painted a picture of witnesses gripped with fear and reluctant to appear in court.

Allaying the fears

She said the proposal to use video link to facilitate statements by witnesses would go a far way in allaying the fears of these persons.

"If they know that they could be at an undisclosed location and then by video link they are cross-examined and dealt with in court, I think that would help us a lot," she said.

The DPP said people under the witness protection programme were not taken to court until the jury was empanelled, noting that her office could not run the risk of exposing witnesses.

"I don't think that Jamaica understands how frustrating it is, and how it renders the system impotent, whenwitnesses do not come forward because of fear," the DPP said.

Pointing to the difficulty in getting persons to do jury duty, Llewellyn said she supported a recommendation by the police to use the taxpayer registration system (TRN) to select jurors. This would require an amendment to the Jury Act.

She urged the Government to carry out a sustained aggressive public education programme to sensitise Jamaicans about the importance of carrying out their duties as jurors.

"Instead of having jurors being taken from the voters list, we have it from the TRN list, because a lot of the times persons are nomadic, and they change their location and the police can't find them to serve them."

Exploring other measures to get Jamaicans to participate in the justice system, Deputy DPP Caroline Williamson Hay told the committee the Government could introduce administrative changes to protect the precincts of the courts.

According to Williamson Hay, cameras should be installed at the courts to deter persons who might visit the courts to intimidate witnesses.

"This would give jurors and witnesses a sense that the judicial system is protecting them," she added.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com