Black Immigrant Daily News

The Governments of the United States of America and the United Kingdom continue to provide assistance to the criminal justice system in Barbados by supporting the introduction of national case file standards.

Over 400 officers of the Barbados Police Service (BPS) will participate in training workshops on a new filing system that will improve the quality and content of criminal case files submitted by the police to prosecutors.

Standardised case files improve the ability of the police and prosecutors to prosecute cases in a timely and efficient manner and ensure that a case can be managed and presented in a coherent and professional manner at trial. Standardizing criminal case file management is expected to reduce delays in the hearing of criminal matters and increase public confidence in the criminal justice system.

Director of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement at US Embassy Bridgetown Reggie Singh applauded the initiative stating that “The Criminal Justice Reform Project seeks to identify solutions that lead to more effective criminal justice systems in the region. This practical training will result in more organised and comprehensive files submitted by the police to prosecutors, who will be able to prepare cases more thoroughly to address serious crime.”

The National Case File Standards, were jointly produced by the US/UK Criminal Justice Reform Project and the Regional Security System (RSS).

The first workshop took place on January 12, 2023 at the Regional Police Training Centre, where facilitators Sirah Abraham, Criminal Justice Advisor to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, and Major Kerry Waterman of the RSS trained senior officers on the concepts of early evidential reviews, file building, and case management. Training is expected to continue next week and will include a ‘train the trainer’ component to ensure that the initiative is sustainable and fully embedded within the BPS and among other key criminal justice actors.

Tom Hines, Head of Political & Communications Team at the British High Commission welcomed the introduction of the standards and thanked the officers for their commitment to improving the criminal justice system in Barbados.

He stated, “The implementation of these standards will have a positive impact on the criminal justice system. They will not only increase in the number of well-prepared and well-compiled files originating from the police but also improve the quality of standards of prosecuting serious crime”. Erwin Boyce, Deputy Commissioner, declared the training open and added that the introduction of case standards is critical to witness protection and ensuring public confidence in the Barbados Police Service.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is launching the call for applications for the 2023 edition of its Young Peacebuilders programme, which for the second time will focus on Latin America and the Caribbean.

The call is open to participants between 18 and 25 years old from the region, with a strong interest in growing their ability to act as agents of peace in their respective communities, preventing violent extremism through intercultural and interfaith dialogue.

To this end, twenty young civil society leaders will be selected to participate in this peace education experience. They will engage online through a series of facilitated interactive modules, and in-person during a one-week face-to-face workshop. After completing their training, participants will then apply their learnings by implementing a peace initiative at the community level with the support and mentorship of UNAOC trainers.

The project will then culminate in a symposium where the young participants will share their experiences, lessons learned, achievements, and recommendations with a broader audience of practitioners, UN officials, policymakers, media entities, and civil society representatives, bringing visibility to their initiatives toward the promotion of diversity and dialogue.

Implemented with the generous support of the Agencia Extreme?a de Cooperaci?n Internacional para el Desarrollo (AEXCID), and in collaboration with the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY), UNAOC Young Peacebuilders strengthens the global network of young peacebuilders who are equipped with the tools to tackle stereotypes, prejudice, and polarization to build more inclusive and peaceful societies. The long-term aim is their integration into governmental peace processes and policies.

More details about the programme and its eligibility criteria are available here. To apply, click here. The deadline for applications is no later than 19 February 2023.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Jan. 25, 2023: US oil giant Hess Corporation is rolling in the oil. The company on Wednesday announced that another oil find was recorded in the prolific Stabroek Block offshore of the South American CARICOM nation of Guyana.

That “significant new oil discovery” was from the Fangtooth SE-1 well. Hess said approximately 200 feet of oil bearing sandstone reservoirs was found. It adds to the estimate of more than 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent in the Stabroek block, though further appraisal activities are underway.

Hess contended that the new oil find “has the potential to underpin a future oil development on the Stabroek Block.” What that means is that the Fangtooth area could become a new oil production field in the Stabroek Block like the Liza Phase 1 and Liza Phase 2, where the combined production of at least 360,000 barrels of oil per day is ongoing.

Hess is a co-venturer with a 30 per cent stake in the Stabroek Block. Esso Exploration Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), ExxonMobil’s local subsidiary, is the operator in the block, and has a 45% stake. The other partner is China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

Beyond Liza Phase 1 and Liza Phase 2, production is expected to start at the Payara development in the Stabroek Block by the end of this year. Future production fields include Yellowtail and Uaru.

Aside from this new discovery, Hess reported significant earnings in the fourth quarter of 2022- a large sharing drawn from the production in Guyana.

And earlier this week, the company said it would increase spending on capital projects this year by US$1 billion, to US$3.7 billion, mostly for its Guyana’s and North Dakota’s Bakken shale field projects.

ExxonMobil, the operator of the Block is expected to confirm the find on Friday.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Attorney Christine Carla Kangaloo was on Friday elected as the President of Trinidad and Tobago, succeeding outgoing head of state, Paula Mae Weekes, and in the process becoming the second woman to be elected to the position.

Kangaloo, who resigned her position as Senate President earlier this week and was nominated by the government, easily defeated veteran Senior Counsel, Israel Khan , who had been nominated by the main opposition United National Congress (UNC).

The Electoral College, which is composed of all members of the House of Representatives and the Senate assembled together, took just over two and a half hours to vote in support of Kangaloo, by secret ballot.

The government has 38 votes in the College, while the opposition has 28. There are nine independent legislators. The Presiding officer also has a vote.

When the results were announced, Kangaloo received 48 votes, Khan received 21 votes and there were three rejected ballots.

The Presiding Officer, Bridgid Annisette-George, who is also the Speaker of the Parliament, said under the Constitution, “the candidate who has obtained the greater number of the votes cast shall be declared elected.

“Accordingly I hereby declare that Christine Carla Kangaloo has obtained the greater number of votes cast and as such is elected as the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago,” she said, adding that the necessary instruments would be sent to the President elect later.”

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley in nominating Kangaloo, said that the former government minister, university lecturer, had during her tenure as President of the Senate, acted as President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago no fewer than 33 occasions.

“It is with a sense of great pride that as Member of Parliament for Diego Martin West and along with all other members who signed or otherwise endorse her nomination that, as Prime Minister of this Republic that I present Ms Christine Carla Kangaloo as a most worthy candidate for the consideration of this esteemed Electoral College to be elected to the position of President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.

Following her election, he said the “well written constitution of Trinidad and Tobago has functioned” properly, a reference no doubt to the claims made by the opposition during the run up to Friday’s presidential election that Kangaloo was an active politician and shoul;d have stepped aside for another nominee.

“Madam Speaker we were called to duty under the provisions of the relevant sections of our Constitution to elect a head of state and today we did so smoothly, dutifully,” he said, adding that “public service is honourable and it is in that vein I would like to congratulate the citizens who put their names forward to be considered for the post of President of Trinidad and Tobago.

“It was an electoral process and Madam Speaker we can still be proud, not knowing of a better way to do it and out of this process…this Chamber by clear majority has chosen a distinguished daughter of Trinidad and Tobago”.

In her brief remark, Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad Bissessar said she has “taken note of this electoral process and I serve notice that the opposition will hold that office to scrutiny in the best interest of the people of Trinidad and Tobago”.

Kangaloo is the only person to serve as both President and Vice President of the Senate. She becomes the seventh head of state and Commander in Chief.

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