Open AccessWitness protection in the criminal justice system of the Baham
Author(s) -
David Baxter Bakibinga
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
revista acadêmica escola superior do ministério público do ceará/revista acadêmica da esmp-ce
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2527-0206
pISSN - 2176-7939
DOI - 10.54275/raesmpce.v12i1.23
Subject(s) - witness , legislation , law , political science , duty , criminal justice , law enforcement , government (linguistics) , procedural justice , commonwealth , enforcement , criminology , sociology , psychology , philosophy , linguistics , neuroscience , perception
Witness protection is now firmly entrenched in the modern criminal justice systems especially in jurisdictions dealing with organized and violent crime. The decision by the government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas to enact legislation in respect to procedural and non-procedural measures for protection of witnesses is commendable, given that violent and organized crime is rife in the country. This article highlights the basic tenets of witness protection and the legal framework, both at the international and national level. It also addresses the role of key duty bearers in the process of witness protection. Furthermore the procedural and non-procedural measures taken by law enforcement officers in The Bahamas are explored. And lastly, the challenges encountered in the implementation of the witness protection measures in The Bahamas are examined. This is intended to aid policy makers, advisers and those entrusted with decision making, like parliamentarians, to devise means and ways to eradicate and/or mitigate challenges faced in the implementation of witness protection measures in The Bahamas.