Dear Editor,

I read in one of our newspapers yesterday, October 30, that the case involving the plain-clothes policeman who is alleged to have shot one ‘Chin Sing’ in full view of civilians, one of whom captured it on tape, was put off for mention until November 19. No trial date was set because the ballistics report was at the time outstanding. Chances are, on that date the process will be repeated and more of the court’s already taxed time will be wasted.

Just to digress for a bit. If the police are having difficulties making their case because the person who got the camera-phone footage refused to come forward, what does this imply for closed-circuit TV footage?

I can’t speak for anyone else but seeing how the court system in my country operates makes me sorely ashamed to call myself a Jamaican. Is it that the justice minister, judges and people at the top entrusted with responsibility have no shame in being prominent and active participants in this farce that masquerades as a court system in Jamaica?

Is this what the over-burdened taxpayer of Jamaica is being made to support involuntarily? Is this the stage this much-publicised case from an incident that took place way back in July has reached? Are we to understand then, that no other ballistic report has been produced subsequent to July 29th? Can we expect this case to still be going through the court system five years from now? Is it any wonder people choose to take justice into their own hands?

I think I have the solution though, perhaps we should consider outsourcing the court system.

Robert Mitchell

Mitcib@yahoo.ca