WILLEMSTAD - The Attorney General of Aruba, Amalin Flanegin, the Attorney General of Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the BES islands, Guillano Schoop, along with the President of the Joint Court of Justice, Mauritsz de Kort, have signed a new agreement, the Joint Court of Justice announced.
This marks the first time that formal working agreements have been established with all Public Prosecutor's Offices (OM). Previously, such agreements only existed with the OM of Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the BES islands, but now Aruba’s OM is also included.
The agreement outlines standardized procedures for handling criminal cases and the allocation of court sessions across the various locations of the Court. These arrangements are further detailed in the criminal procedure regulations, which have also been signed by the parties involved.
The agreement complements existing regulations, such as those for civil and administrative cases. It also focuses on improving processes such as scheduling court sessions, assembling case files, and handling administrative matters after rulings. A key goal is to help reduce the processing times for criminal cases.
The agreement and the criminal procedure regulations will come into effect on September 1, 2024.