Marcus Bisram, a America-based Guyanese businessman, who was accused of the murder of Berbice carpenter Faiyaz Narinedatt between October 31, 2016 and November 1, 2016, was yesterday freed by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
After several legal challenges in all the Courts of Guyana and overseas, Bisram was extradited and charged with murder on November 21, 2019. In April 2020, Magistrate Renata Singh found no evidence to commit Bisram to stand trial. However, by way of letters from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Bisram was recommitted to stand trial.
Bisram challenged the direction of the DPP at the level of the High Court and Court of Appeal, but lost on both occasions. On today’s date, the Trinidad and Tobago based CCJ, ruled that the DPP acted unfairly. The Court, relying on Roodal v The State, ruled that the archaic law allowing the DPP to overrule a Magistrate, cannot stand in light of the Separation of Powers doctrine without modification to Section 72 of the Criminal Law Offences Act.
Additionally, however, the CCJ, Guyana’s apex court, did state that if new evidence is found Bisram may be charged again.