KOROR (Palau Horizon) — President Tommy Remengesau has vetoed legislation seeking the speedy resolution of criminal cases.
Remengesau said he was “unconvinced” that there was a need for House Bill 6-8.
“I am unaware of any analysis or report which suggests that criminal matters meriting a trial do not proceed to trial in a timely fashion or that criminal defendants in the Republic of Palau are prejudiced by undue delays in trials,” the president said.
According to the president, there was a significant backlog of cases at the Public Defender’s Office due to “understaffing,” but he believed this had been addressed since the office had already been “re-staffed.”
Remengesau also raised concern about the number of “facts” cited in the legislation that were “not evident.”
“For example, the bill seems to suggest that the Attorney General’s Office has exclusive control over the pace of criminal proceedings and is not being diligent in its efforts to obtain a prompt resolution of criminal matters,” he said.
