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So what does he think of the wrinkle in relations between the police and the DPP? We asked him today:..

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Attorney General
"The memo is quite correct and it is in accordance with the law. We have separation of powers here in Belize. In the case of minor offences, once those charges are laid, a case file is presented to the court and then you have the trial taking place many times without the DPP even having knowledge of it because these summary matters, the Director of Public Prosecution don't normally deal with. She deals almost exclusively with Supreme Court matters; indictable matters. But it is not her responsibility to say who is to be charged or `who is not to be charged - that's not her responsibility at all. Her responsibility is exclusively to prosecute."

Daniel Ortiz
"Doesn't it seem prudent that the prosecuting authority who will undoubtingly have to labor in the Supreme Court, to get a conviction, a successful prosecution - wouldn't it be the best practice to have that authority give input to make the best possible case?"

Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"An excellent point you are raising and it's something that we have even thought from time to time. It's not my understanding that the practice of the police ought to wait from the DPP was helping the situation. The record of conviction has been very dismal in the country. I am not blaming the DPP. We have change circumstances and very difficult these days because of intimidation of witnesses and all kinds of things to get conviction, but it is not my understanding that the practice of the police had` of sending the file to the DPP was helping the situation. I think it was retarding the dealing of justice, delaying and then you have the blame game; nothing is being done and when you ask one person why this is being done, he say well I am waiting for the DPP, and the DPP is saying well I don't have the file from the police. But there is no need for the police to go to the DPP before they lay a charge."