Premier insists: BVI’s Justice system is working
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has defended the justice system in the BVI, urging the public to maintain trust in its processes.
Speaking at the government’s first press conference for 2025, Dr Wheatley stressed that the judiciary is critical in ensuring fair outcomes for all, even amid high-profile cases.
Addressing questions on the recent acquittal of Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn, the Premier highlighted the independence of law enforcement and the judiciary.
“The police and the Director of Public Prosecutions are completely independent,” he explained. “If the police and the DPP get together and charge someone, certainly that shouldn’t be done based on anything to do with “pressure” from a COI. It has to do with whether the police or the DPP feel as though a law has been broken.”
Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards recently dismissed Breach of Trust charges against Walwyn when he appeared before the Magistrate’s Court following what is known as a no-case submission.
Despite complaints by some over the years, Dr Wheatley expressed confidence in the workings of the judicial system. “We have to have some level of faith in our justice system that, of course, when persons have been charged, even if they’re charged by a police or a DPP, that we’ll get to the right result by going through the judicial process,” he said.
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Don’t trust your own eyes that showing you it not working and take my word for it that it working and continue to trust in it. Guilty people walking free all the time due to technicalities with evidence. Dpp can’t win a case to save her life how is it working!? We always trying to spin and sugar coat and damage control everything just fix it!
THE QUESTION IS , FOR WHO ❓️ , IF YOU SAID THAT KNOWN ” COLDBLOODED EXECUTION STYLE KILLERS “= ARE WALKING IN THE STREETS A US , THATS CONTRARY TO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING NOW , SO AND THE ANOTHER QUESTION IS, WHERE YOU AT BRO ❓️ – PLEASE TELL US THE TRUTH SIR / NO HONEST MISTAKES , WOULD BE ACCEPTED
Nope it only works for the rich and the injustice by mark collins and the uk police will bankrupt the bvi government
The DPP is hopeless, and needs to be fired.
It is embarrassing that she loses so many cases – we need a DPP with proper judgment who can make sensible decisions as to whether to prosecute, and one that is not intimidated by the Governor in respect of CoI matters. However, her inability to stand up to the Governor is the least of the problems – lack of legal ability, complete lack of judgment, amd extraordinary arrogance are the real problems.
cannot be impartial when themselves guiding her.
This man doesn’t even know what day today is.
The criminal justice system in the BVI is corrupt and it is being influenced by the COI. The DPP is not doing her job partly because she is not qualified and secondly because she is trying to please someone who is pulling her strings. So No! The bvi criminal justice system is not well. It is the worse it has ever been. Prosecutions are being targeted and the police is being used to replace whips and chains.
“The police and the Director of Public Prosecutions are completely independent.”
Is that a typo and he meant to say completely incompetent?
The time has come for the BVI to leave the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court system based in St. Lucia and replace it with the UK Supreme Court system based in London. It’s ridiculous for the 3 BoT’s in the Caribbean to be involved in a court system that is comprised of 6 independent countries and 3 colonies. BVI needs rotating UK judges and Magistrates and a UK DPP staffed with competent UK trained prosecutors, legal assistants, court reporters, etc.
And you seem to think this a solution? Do you know that judgments are based on UK case law etc? So our black judges are not good enough to judge us so we need whites to do it. If you are a black person then something is definitely wrong with you.
The UK is multi-national and have black, brown and yellow complexions; FYI. Maybe take a trip if you can and see for yourself!
Our current justice system works fine for the criminals if that’s what he mean. If you live here and does read the news you’ll know better than that nonsense he talking.
I wish that was not the case, but the evidence prove otherwise in my view. Specifically, there are too many unsolved murders, too many people who have been charged with crimes quite often getting off for evidentiary matters or lack of case submission, and unfortunately a DPP who does not appear up to the task imo.
Too many have been lost on her docket. In the private sector, that would result in a sacking.
I don’t understand why she still remains in her job. This is not a personal matter for me as I have never met the woman, but in my judgement she has been falling short for a while now, and it’s beyond time that she is replaced.
Now, not because someone is charged with a crime means they are guilty. The onus is on the Crown to prove their guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt.
So in cases where someone is accused of a crime and their lawyer out lawyers the DPP office, that too is the justice system working.
Unfortunately there is a widespread perception that no matter the case and especially cases where there is a strong suggestion of guilt, the DPP office never gets the expected conviction.
IMO, there are some systemic problems that needs redress inclusive of evidence gathering and presentation to the DPP office. As such, the DPP office cannot share the burden alone.
However, that office needs to do a better job vetting evidence brought before them prior to taking cases to court.
For every criminal case, they should be asking themselves, do we have enough evidence for a conviction, and if not collaborating with the RVIPF to gather the additional evidence they think they need.
No case should be taken to trial unless there is a strong likelihood of conviction. Too many cases have gone by the wayside.
So, no I don’t agree with the Premier. The justice system is not working. In fact, in my view it’s failing as there are so many people who have not received the justice they deserve for crimes against them or family members.
Part of the solution is to get rid of the DPP, and replacing her with a more competent team. We all have to be accountable for our actions or lack thereof. How can a person continue in a job with poor results?
Doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different results is madness.
Feelings aside, from my hawks eye view, this is a critical step to making the justice system work better. You cannot have all these criminal cases going before the court only to turn out to be duds. Unacceptable.
If I were her (I don’t think I really could be, but for argument sakes), I would voluntarily tender my resignation and give someone else a shot for the good of the country.
Short of that, one can expect much of the same.
The clearance rate for crimes as per the RVIPF is a miserable 49% no matter how they dress it up by comparing that number to other jurisdictions. That too needs a pull up.
The RVIPF needs to do better. The entire system needs an overhaul before we can say the justice system is working.
The measuring stick should be higher convictions and crime clearance percentages, and most importantly a perception from the public that they can trust the system to acquire justice. IMO, we are not there yet; we have a ways to go.
But all i see on the news is every single serious crime case lost.
maybe the media need post more positive case wins
Really Mr. Premier?Exactly where do you live? Dose the Premier and his family have personal 24 hour security?
WIGGIE BOI , BLAMING THE WHITE BOTZ , IS NOT GOING TO HIDE THE FACTS , YOU NEED TO STAY ON YOUR YELLO RACIST SITE AND PLAY WITH YOURSELF THIS SITE ONLY RINGS THE NEWS AS IT HAPPENS , AND ITS NOT BIAS OR EMBELISILING ANYTHING LIKE WHAT YOU ARE DOING ( SPEAK THE TRUTH ) YHIS AIN’T HOLLYWOOD OR FANTASY ISLAND ,GET BACK TO REALITY
How do you come to that conclusión when you yourself direct the immigration not to remove overstaying expats from the Territory? make it make sense alone.
mouth open and story jump out
we currently have visiting people working in the bvi; how?