DPP Moves to Appeal Oscar Selgado Acquittal to CCJ

At the top of this newscast, we told you of Oscar Selgado’s acquittal on Friday by the Cour of Appeals.  What we didn’t bring to you was an interview with the Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl Lynn Vidal who has confirmed that her office has moved to appeal the acquittal of Oscar Selgado.  Vidal said that by the time the judgment was delivered, she had already carefully reviewed it and identified potential grounds for appeal. She explained that the ruling was not unexpected, given the manner in which the oral hearing unfolded, and that her immediate focus was on preparing an application for special leave to appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, Director of Public Prosecutions: “It was not surprising I anticipated this outcome given the way in which the oral hearing itself went. So I was really just looking forward to the judgment so that I could finalize my application for leave to appeal to the Caribbean courts of justice. We’ve been in this position before and we’ve taken it higher court and succeeded. Regardless of how emphatic the judgment appears to be, a different court might have a different view. We have 42 days from today within which to make an application for special leave to appeal. And then the timetable really is at the discretion of the court. The court will determine the next steps. So it is not something that happens automatically. if we succeed in getting leave, then there will be further case management of the appeal once it’s filed and then a timeline will be set by the court. In the interest of justice, and that is my function to seek after justice not just for the immediate victims, but for society as a whole, because society is the ultimate victim of crime. In this particular case, when we did the sentence in hearing and Miss Bonds gave her victim impact statement and explained what this offense meant to her, how it affected her, how the way she described it ruined her life and the life of her family. If I believe that there may have been errors in this judgment that a higher court should look at, then it is my duty to take them out of her though.”

The DPP emphasized that her decision to appeal is grounded in the interest of justice, noting that her constitutional role extends beyond any single case and includes safeguarding justice for society as a whole. She also referenced the serious impact of the offense on the complainant and her family, as outlined in a victim impact statement during sentencing proceedings.  Vidal clarified that while she disagrees with the outcome, her response is professional rather than personal, rooted in her responsibility to ensure that questionable legal findings are reviewed at the highest level.  She confirmed that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has 42 days to file an application for special leave to appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice, marking the next step in what is expected to be a closely watched legal process./