Judge Raises Concerns with Lawyers’ Pattern of Late Filing

High Court Justice Daniel Goundar has raised concerns on the pattern of conduct of Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions lawyers seeking time to file information in cases from last year.

This was after ODPP Prosecutor Swastika Sharma had sought further extended time of 14 days to file information in the matter of a 62-year-old man facing rape charges.

Justice Goundar said the accused was charged in December, 2018, and since then, it has been almost six months the ODPP has not filed the information.

He said the allegation of rape was serious and the complainant was the accused’s biological daughter.

He questioned Ms Sharma if such conduct was going to be a pattern of the ODPP lawyers in serious allegation cases.

Justice Goundar then questioned what was the purpose or point of publishing the sexual statistics if the cases before the court were not heard in a proper timely manner.

He said it is a serious concern on how late the information is filed in rape cases; however, he gave a final seven days to file information.

The accused is charged with two counts of rape.

It is alleged that the accused had allegedly raped his biological daughter between November 4 and November 9, 2018, at Lami.

The case was adjourned to May 6 for plea and the accused was further remanded in custody pending bail.

Edited by Susana Tuilau

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