and AG John McKendrick
Following the recent publication in Anguilla of the Criminal Justice Reform Bill, by the Attorney General’s Chambers, a closely-related conference has been organised for Friday, June 22. It will be at La Vue Hotel, South Hill, under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and Social Development and the AG’s Chambers.
The high-powered conference will commence at 8.30 a.m. and will be chaired by the Rt. Hon. Sir Dennis Byron, President of the Caribbean Court of Justice based in Trinidad. The meeting will be called to order by Anguilla’s Hon. Attorney General, Mr. John McKendrick, QC. The welcome remarks will be delivered by the Hon. Chief Minister, Mr. Victor Banks; the Hon. Minister of Social Development, Mr. Evans McNiel Rogers; the Hon. High Court Judge, Madam Justice Cheryl Mathurin; followed by remarks by Sir Dennis.
The conference will seek to provide delegates with a greater understanding of protecting children and vulnerable adults within the criminal justice system and, in particular, will explain the use of special measures for witnesses and complainants.
Secondly, the conference will seek to explain the use of courts in safeguarding children; the creation of a family division of the High Court, and a family court to provide a jurisdiction for staged intervention to make orders to protect children; and the role of “guardians” of children with respect to family court rules and proceedings. The conference will also touch on matters relating to mentally ill and mentally incapacitated adults in the civil and criminal justice systems.
The facilitators for the conference sessions will be the Director of CAFCASS (a UK Family Court organisation), Mr. Peter Richardson; Justice Carter of the Cayman Islands; the President of the Anguilla Bar Association, Ms. Jean Dyer; Internet facilitator, Hilary Ryan; and UK Barrister-at-Law, Uleye Burnham, of Doughty Street Chambers.
There will be a question and answer session followed by closing reflections by Sir Dennis Byron.
This is the first such conference to be held in Anguilla.
