By: Nicholas Bass &Cecilia E.L. Mendy
Banjul High Court presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh on Tuesday ordered the Interior Minister and the Inspector General of Police to facilitate the transportation of Mile Two Remand Prisoners to the court.
Justice Jaiteh urged Interior Minister Abdoulie Sanyang and IGP Seedy Makhtar Touray to provide vehicles for remand prisoners for speedy trial.
The judge states that it has come to the notice of the court that the prison authorities are facing serious logistical and operational challenges in ensuring the timely production of remand prisoners before the court.
The presiding Judge added that such constraints, coupled with the low number of male escort prison officers who should supervise remand prisoners to and from the court premises, require urgent intervention.
‘’Such delays are inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee of a fair hearing within a reasonable time, as enshrined in Section 24(3) of the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia, ’he said.
Justice Jaiteh discloses that the situation has regrettably resulted in repeated delays in court proceedings, leaving the court with no option but to adjourn cases, which, according to him, has disrupted court proceedings in the speedy delivery of justice.
Therefore, Justice Jaiteh ordered Interior Minister Hon. Sanyang and IGP, Touray, to assess the current staffing of The Gambia Prison Services and resolve the shortage of escort officers.
He also ordered the Minister of Interior and IGP to temporarily redeploy or reinforce officers from other security units, where necessary, to support court escort duties.
“Non-compliance with these directives will not only undermine judicial efficiency but may also amount to a violation of the fundamental rights of detained persons under the constitution,” he remarked.