By JOSEPHINE NAVULA
In a bid to improve an arm of the Fiji Police’s investigation procedures and processes, a new Video Interview Room was opened yesterday by Chief Justice Sir Anthony Gates at the Criminal Investigation Department.
Police Spokesperson Ana Naisoro said the Fiji Police has adopted the annual theme of “Plugging the Gaps through systems and processes”.
As such the opening of the video interview room marked just one of the many steps to be carried out by the Force that will ensure the achievement of this annual theme.
Chief Justice Sir Anthony Gates opens the new video interview room. Photo: FIJI POLICE FORCE.
In addressing the senior officers, Sir Anthony Gates said such innovations will greatly assist not only the work of the Force but other relevant agencies.
“With the introduction of video interviewing of suspects in custody we can expect to gain many improvements to the justice system. Undoubtedly there will be fewer trials, and fewer trials within trials, when the judge must hear evidence in the absence of the assessors on the voluntaries or otherwise of the accused confessions,” he said.
Sir Anthony said investigators will also have ample time to attend to other matters.
“A well conducted interview will invariably result in a guilty plea which in turn reduce the amount of time detectives need to spend at court, and thus provide time for work on other pressing investigations, the courts will save time too, and other trials can be dealt with,” he said.
On the same note the Chief Justice added the new investigating aid comes with responsibilities.
“Law enforcement agencies must be professional and well supported by the civil authorities in matters of sufficiency of personnel, training, equipment, vehicles and other resources,” Gates said.
He also mentioned that the benefits of the video interviewing room is not expected to be felt solely by the Force.