Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Sen. Hon. Ryan Pinder defended the use of plea agreements by the Department of Public Prosecutions  to close cases during debate on amendments to the National Crime Intelligence Agency Act in the Senate on Monday.

Pinder said, “I want to reassure the public that when we pursue a plea deal in the courts its not about being lenient on the accused.  It’s about making sure that justice is served in the best way possible having regard for that facts and circumstances around that particular case.  As mentioned sometimes factors like the availability of witnesses and the strength of the evidence comes  into play.   In particular case that drew complaints we faced real challenges as to the quality of the evidence in the matter and so the choice was made.  Do you risk not obtaining a conviction because of the quality of the evidence or do you negotiate and arrive at a guilty plea and ensure that justice is actually done.”

The Attorney General’s comments came after there was public concern recently about a plea deal that ended in a man accused of raping an 83 year old woman along with other crimes being sentenced to 9 years in prison.