Gov’t establishes Criminal Case & Detention Review Panel

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The office of the Ministry of Justice has announced the establishment of a Criminal Case and Detention Review Panel CCDRP. The statement containing the announcement informs that this is part of the Government efforts to immediately address concerns in the Criminal Justice system, uphold the rule of law and ensure adherence to statutory and constitutional provisions in respect of criminal prosecutions.

The Terms of Reference are as follows.

. Review all on-going criminal proceedings against persons who are holding public office or have public office in order to determine the viability of the prosecution case against them.

. Review all on-going criminal proceedings linked to a political activity in order to determine the viability of the prosecution.

. Review all pending appeal proceedings arising from convictions of all persons who held public office or persons whose convictions are linked to political activity in order to determine the legal position the state should adopt on appeal.

Also review the state of proceeding against all persons presently detained at the remand wing of all prisons in order to determine the legality of their pre-trail detention with a view to taking appropriate measure to ensure a just and speedy resolution  of the cases. The panel shall report their findings with recommendations to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice for action.