In an unprecedented authorized transfer, Antigua and Barbuda will conduct its first-ever judge-only homicide trial this Monday, marking a major chapter within the nation’s judiciary historical past.
Jeffrey Daniel stands because the accused on this case, going through fees for the homicide of 56-year-old David Roberts.
Based on reviews, the alleged altercation between Daniel and Roberts occurred on Could 21, 2021.
The 2 people had been identified to one another.
Studies are that Roberts’ lifeless physique was found close to his residence, displaying seen accidents.
Authorized maneuvers: Creating the protection
Daniel’s protection, spearheaded by authorized counsel Wendel Robinson, unveils a story of mutual hurt. In court docket, Robinson emphasised the multitude of accidents Daniel allegedly sustained to his physique, together with to “his chest, his brow, his fingers, his again, etcetera,” in the course of the altercation.
This tactic suggests a technique leaning in the direction of self-defense.
Navigating the Authorized Labyrinth: A Plea and a Trial
Studies are that Daniel, a resident of Cassada Gardens, entered a plea of not responsible in Could 2022.
The stage is now set for a authorized battle overseen by Justice Tunde Bakre, who will steer the trial’s course within the absence of a jury.
Revolutionary laws: The appearance of judge-only trials
The choice to carry a judge-only trial comes from the Felony Proceedings (Trial by Choose Alone) Act, enacted in 2021 amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This laws seeks to handle the backlog of instances ensuing from the shortcoming to convene juries because of the pandemic. The Act was made everlasting a number of months in the past.
