MONTEGO BAY, St James – Twenty-two cases, including one involving a female charged with murder and another involving a teenager charged with felonious wounding, are down to be tried at the Hillary session of the St James Circuit Court which opened yesterday.

Crown Counsel Chester Crooks, who will be leading the prosecution on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), said in his opening remarks that he was “distressed at the amount of murders and sexually-oriented” charges that were listed.

Of the 22 cases down to be tried, 10 are of a sexual nature, while there are nine murder cases. There are two wounding matters and one assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.

High Court judge Gloria Smith, who will preside in the three weeks session, said while the list was not as long as some she has had to deal with recently, efforts would be made to ensure that the cases are dealt with as soon as possible.

In her address to the potential jurors, the judge said it was “fashionable these days” for people to call for justice, but when summoned to serve jury duty, they don’t come forward.

She reminded people called to serve on the jury that the jury system was a vital part of the dispensing of justice. The jury system, Smith emphasised, was “not a play thing”, but serious business which people should see as service to country.

The judge said the juror function was as important as any other in the entire process, including hers, and if there were not sufficient people to fill panels, the cases would not be tried.