Justice Minister: Parole legislation to be introduced

2026-03-19 - 20:14

Minister of Justice Devesh Maharaj says legislation to introduce a parole system in Trinidad and Tobago will soon be laid in Parliament as part of a broader effort to reform the criminal justice system and reduce delays. Maharaj said a Parole Bill is among a suite of measures being prepared to improve efficiency and access to justice. “There’s a parole act, parole bill, sorry, which we bring into Parliament shortly to introduce parole to the criminal justice system,” he said. He added that the legislation will come alongside amendments to the Probation Act, the introduction of a Victims’ Rights Bill, and proposed constitutional changes to strengthen the right to a trial within a reasonable time. “In terms of there, we are bringing certain amendments to the Constitution for the right of reasonable trial, a quick trial, right of the accused of trial within a reasonable time,” Maharaj said. He said the legislative push is being supported by operational changes aimed at reducing long-standing backlogs in the system. “We are working very closely with the judiciary itself to ensure that we have functional courtrooms. We are working very closely with the Forensic Science Centre to clear backlogs to ensure that criminal trials proceed quickly,” he said. Maharaj said additional resources have already been deployed to address delays in forensic testing. “We have had a huge backlog in our autopsy reports, which we have added. We have added six persons to the DNA lab to clear that backlog as well,” he said. He said the overall goal is to make justice more efficient and accessible. “There’s a whole suite of legislation that we are bringing, and functionally on the ground, we are dealing with all the issues that have prevented justice from being delayed, making it accessible and quicker,” he said. The move follows earlier efforts to introduce parole-type mechanisms. In 2012, then justice minister Herbert Volney called for a parole system managed by a Parole Board and an early release programme for certain categories of offenders. During a 2011 parliamentary debate on electronic monitoring, Volney argued that the existing pardon system was too rigid, forcing a choice between full incarceration and absolute freedom. He proposed a conditional framework that would allow supervised release while maintaining oversight.