The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has reported a significant reduction in the number of criminal cases listed for hearing at the Demerara Criminal Assizes over the past five years.
Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, reflected on the progress as the January Demerara Criminal Assizes 2026 opened today, with 126 cases listed to be heard between January and March.
According to figures released by the DPP’s Chambers, 318 cases were listed in January 2020, rising to 342 in 2021 and peaking at 367 in January 2022. The number declined to 307 cases in January 2023, dropped further to 259 in January 2024 and stood at 134 cases in January 2025.
Mrs. Ali-Hack said the reduction reflects sustained efforts by her office to tackle the long-standing backlog while keeping pace with new matters entering the criminal justice system. She said the focus has been on ensuring that accused persons awaiting trial have
