The Honourable Faris Al-Rawi, M.P., Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs met with Mr. Patrick Stevens, Rule of Law Director, International Leader in Justice Development and Delivery, United Kingdom, at the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, AGLA Tower, Government Plaza, Corner London and Richmond Streets, Port of Spain on Monday 3rdFebruary 2020. Accompanying Mr. Stevens were Mr. Mark Heywood QC, former First Senior Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court; Mr. Charlie Jenkins, Assistant US Attorney, Criminal Division (ret’d) and Ms. Maia Hibben, Justice & Security Policy Officer, British High Commission/ Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) Programme Manager, Trinidad and Tobago. The three gentlemen are here as part of a panel discussion on x-criminal justice system and workshop on the Effective Implementation of Plea Bargaining Legislation. The workshop is a collaboration between the British High Commission and the Judicial Education Institute of Trinidad and Tobago (JEITT) and runs from Tuesday 4th - Thursday 6th February, 2020.
The Criminal Procedure (Plea Discussion and Plea Agreement) Act, 2017 is another legislative tool strategically piloted and operationalised by the Honourable Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs to quicken the pace of justice in Trinidad and Tobago and lessen the burden on the criminal courts caused by lengthy trials.