Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Methodist Building, Crn. Granby and Sharpe Street, Kingstown, St.

incent and the Grenadines. !est "ndies #elephone $%&'( ')%*+,'' -acsi.ile/ $%&'( '&)*012, 3.ail/ dpps4g54incysurf.co.

________________________________________________________________ M3D"6 73836S3

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions welcomes the enactment of the Witness (Special Measures) Act 20 ! b" the Parliament of Saint #incent an$ the %rena$ines& The new law recei'e$ unanimous bipartisan support when it was passe$ in the (ouse of Assembl" on Mon$a") the 2n$ December 20 !& The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions notes that this new law is 'er" si*nificant in man" wa"s an$ $esi*n to enhance the $eli'er" of +ustice an$ the rule of law& This Act pro'i$es for an application to be ma$e to the ,ourt for a witness anon"mit" or$er an$ pro'i$es for special measures $irections to be *i'en in appropriate cases& These special measures inclu$e the *i'in* of e'i$ence b" li'e lin-) 'i$eo recor$e$ e'i$ence) the ta-in* of e'i$ence from outsi$e of Saint #incent an$ the %rena$ines an$ prohibitin* the Defen$ant in certain cases from personall" cross e.aminin* particular witness& This is "et another si*nificant step forwar$ in the pro*ressi'e $e'elopment of the criminal law practice an$ proce$ure in this countr"& As the theme of one of the ,ommunit" /n*a*ement Pro*rammes of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions states 01o Witness) 1o 2ustice3& This witness (Special Measures) Act is a si*nificant step forwar$ in ensurin* that there will be witnesses who will testif" an$ in so $oin* stren*then the rule of law an$ the $eli'er" of +ustice& Witnesses are the foun$ation upon which the criminal +ustice s"stem is constructe$ b" pro'i$in* a safe) secure an$ protecte$ en'ironment to permit witnesses to testif") this new Act stan$s as a lan$mar- in the $eli'er" of +ustice an$ the rule of law& The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions applau$s all those who contribute$ to ensurin* that this 'aluable law was enacte$& Dated this 3rd day of December 2013.

Colin Williams Director of Public Prosecutions