Shameem concerned over failure to abide by criminal procedure

Former Deputy Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem has expressed concern over the failure to abide by the Criminal Procedure Act.

The parliament passed the Criminal Procedure Act in 2016 and it was published on the government gazette in May that year.

Speaking on RaajjeTV’s Fala Surukhee show on Sunday night, Shameem said that the ratification of the Criminal Procedure Act resulted in the decrease of nonsensical cases and that the judiciary’s statistics show that overall cases have decreased as well, adding that there are also fewer detainees.

Highlighting the need to be more diligent in enforcing the Criminal Procedure Act, Shameem said that the courts have been negligent in obeying the law that states that case documents should be handed over to the defendant within five days of the case being submitted.

He also said that while the Civil Court has been following the procedures by sending the trial schedule to the state and defendants, the Criminal Court is failing to do so.

Shameem also expressed concern over the police service failing to establish regulations dictated in the Criminal Procedure Act, but that the Prosecutor General has established and implemented its own regulations.

He also approved of former President Abdulla Yameen’s trial being broadcast live on TV and said that he believes that all trials should be open.