Ten police ranks commenced training as court prosecutors on Monday in order that they may be better equipped to present cases before the courts.

Police officers on the Special Prosecutors’ Course pose for a photo along with Course Coordinator, Assistant Superintendent Ingrid Wiltshire (in uniform) and Lecturer Coreen Jacobs-Chester of the University of Guyana.

They were selected from the policing divisions, the Tactical Services Unit and the Immigration Department, the Guyana Police Force said in a statement yesterday. The one-year Special Prosecutors’ Course began last Monday at the Felix Austin Police College, Eve Leary.

The statement said that the objective of the course is to equip the officers with the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to prosecute effectively in the Magistrate’s Court.

Facilitators for the intense programme have been drawn from the University of Guyana and “have been of invaluable assistance to the Guyana Police Force in the conduct of this course over the years,” the statement said.

Subject areas to be dealt with include Criminal Practice and Procedure, Criminal Law, Evidence, Legal Research and Writing, and Advocacy. During the period of study the ranks will be attached to various Magistrate’s Courts in order to gain practical experience and will be required to present research papers in addition to taking part in a number of moot trials and written examinations.

The GPF is placing emphasis on the training of court prosecutors in order that they may be better able to present cases before the courts, the statement said.