2 Dominicans lead RSS OECS & Barbados Course re Police Prosecutors in Drug Prosecution & Confiscation

​2 Dominicans lead an RSS OECS & Barbados Course dealing with Police Prosecutors in Drug Prosecution and Confiscation. The Course ran from 27th to 31st March 2017, in Barbados. This is the second such course ran by the RSS; the first was held in October 2015.
 
The concept of the Course was the brainchild of Superintendent Yvonne Alexander (Ret), while she served as Director of Training at the RSS. She was recognized for her role in bringing it to fruition. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of Barbados, Charles Leacock QC gave the feature address at the closing graduation ceremony.
 
He stressed the need for Caribbean Islands to get rid of the “Preliminary Inquiry” (PI) Regime, to afford defendants a fair trial within “a reasonable time, as enshrined in their constitutions”.
 
The facilitator for the one-week course was Dominican Attorney Clement Joseph who is attached to the DPP’s office in the Turks & Caicos Islands. He also previously worked as a prosecutor in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution in Dominica.
 
Joseph was assisted by Sergeant Dane Bontiff of the Royal Antigua Police Force. Bontiff is originally from Woodford Hill, Dominica. Sergeant Hans Francis and Corporal Terry Royer of the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force attended the course.
 
Joseph described the course as “intensive” and stated that it focused on such topics as The Role of the Prosecutor; Evidence in chief; Cross Examination; Re-examination; Element of Possession; Drug Trafficking; Search warrants; Analyst Report; Chain of custody; and tendering exhibits. Confiscation Proceedings were also discussed.