Page 644 - Magistrates Conference 2019

MODEL GUIDELINES FOR SEXUAL OFFENCE CASES IN THE CARIBBEAN REGION

4. To ensure continuous data collection, both magistrates’ courts and high courts should be required to
maintain an appropriate computerized database of returns on all sexual assault cases that disaggregates
data according to the indicators above and to include these indicators in the returns from the court to form
part of the court’s statistical report.

5. In addition to the returns, to ensure systemic periodic reviews of the statistics, the procedures and practices
for the courts should require a bi-annual review of the returns submitted by each court with a view to
identifying patterns, with a view to promoting consistency of sentencing across the courts.
6. In addition, the patterns in offending and any spikes in certain offences that may be highlighted by the
bi-annual review should be shared with the D.P.P.
7. One of the most important issues to be monitored in the court statistics by each head of court is the
clearance rates of the courts to determine effectiveness as well as to structure interventions to clear
backlogs.
8. Annual statistics provided to the heads of judiciary for each jurisdiction should provide desegregated
data based on the recommended indicators above.
9. Annual reports of the courts should be re-structured to provide information on clearance rates, desegregate
data on the types of sexual offences before the courts, the ages of the defendant and the complainants
and the sentences issued as well as care and support services offered to the complainant and the use of
special measures.
10. Each court shall have a data collection unit or at a minimum a staff member exclusively assigned to be
the monitoring and evaluation officer with responsibility for supervising data collection, populating the
database and preparing reports as required.

GUIDELINES FOR THE TRIAL PROCESS | 45