The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DDP) earlier today (Tuesday), launched the very first Code of Conduct for local prosecutors to guide them in their practice.
The code of conduct is aimed at improving consistency in decision-making among prosecutors, guiding them on general principles to be applied when making decisions about prosecutions.
Speaking at the launching of the 27-page document this morning, DPP Shalimar Ali-Hack, posited that the code of conduct comes at a time when the criminal justice system is undergoing improvements.
To this end, she called on those stakeholder agencies, such as the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) and others, to apply the codes when instituting charges so that they can yield convictions.
Deputy Police Commissioner, Paul Williams, acknowledged the charge as he welcomed the prosecutorial guidelines, while committing to ensure that they are adopted by the Police Force.
Meanwhile, acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards posited that prosecutors will be better guided to carry out their duties without anyone questioning their decisions.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo reminded the prosecutors that their duty is not to get convictions but to ensure justice is served. To this end, he urged that more be done to ensure that prosecutors are educated on the code.
