GSLP-Liberals-Manifesto-2019

RGP, the DPP and the Judiciary. We
will also provide for victims to have
a say in matters relating to parole of
offenders.
DETERRENT SENTENCING
We will also review rules on parole
so convicts serve longer sentences in
appropriate cases.
PRISON SERVICES
The Government recognises the
very important work that prison
management and prison officers
carry out to provide a safe and secure
environment for inmates and staff.
The Government also acknowledges
that prison staff treat inmates with
compassion and respect and assist
inmates to return to society as lawabiding
and productive citizens. We
are fully committed to continue to
invest in all aspects of our Prison
Services.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The Government is committed to
continue its 3-year implementation
plan, already in its second year, to
increase the number of prison officers.
One of the aims of the recruitment
process is to increase the number of
female prison officers. This year an
additional post of Chief Officer was
introduced to bolster the Prison’s
management structure.
TRAINING
Training has also been expanding
annually to enable all staff to develop
their skills. Over the past 18 months
alone, officers have undergone
specialist training for mandatory drugs
testing, mental health awareness,
working with young people, sex
offender risk assessment, emergency
first aid and unarmed defence tactics.
COUNSELLING AND
REHABILITATION
New initiatives and improvements
include an increase to the provision
of general and drugs counselling
and rehabilitation. The Government
is firmly of the view that the
improved services will provide better
rehabilitation and maximise successful
re-integration into society. HM
Prison is in the process of engaging
an additional counsellor to bolster the
current support to inmates who live
with drug-dependency.
STRATEGY ON DRUGS
A well thought-out prison drug strategy
includes counselling, rehabilitation,
enforcement, and deterrence. So as
to enforce and deter the misuse of
drugs, the Prison Service will introduce
Mandatory Drugs Testing for all
prisoners in November of this year.
The Government has fully supported
the Prison Service to prepare the
appropriate legislation, introduce the
mechanisms for the support of Justices
of the Peace in the adjudication
process, and contract a recognised UK
Home Office approved laboratory. The
newly acquired software programme
will ensure the monthly testing of
prisoners who are randomly selected
by the specially designed software.
The programme will also include
testing when a reasonable suspicion of
consumption arises on arrival at HMP
and frequent testing thereafter. Those
prisoners who either refuse to be
tested, or test positive, will go through
the existing internal disciplinary
process at Prison. The Government
is confident that the introduction
of this new testing policy will deter
substance abuse in Prison and have
an overall positive impact on inmates.
In conjunction with improvements on
counselling and rehabilitation services,
the Prison will deliver a consolidated
and comprehensive drug strategy.
PRISON FACILITIES & BUS
The parking area in front of the prison
will be used to provide an additional
parking area and a structure that will
house a Mess/changing room and
club facilities for staff of HM Prison.
It will also provide a turn around area
and Bus Stop for a bus service to the
prison.
THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
A FOURTH JUDGE
We have made funding available for
and have approved a fourth judge for
the Supreme Court of Gibraltar given
that the Judicial Services Commission
considers this is necessary and
appropriate. We will continue to
provide that funding as part of our
commitment to the proper functioning
of the Rule of Law.
GLO & SOLICITOR GENERAL
The Government Law Office have
been restructured into three separate
offices, all under the supervision
of the Attorney General. These are
the Office of Parliamentary Counsel
headed by a Parliamentary Counsel
which is responsible for the drafting
of the laws of Gibraltar, the Office
of Advisory Counsel headed by a
Senior Legal Counsel which provides
advice to Government Ministers and
Departments and the Office of Criminal
Prosecutions and Litigation headed by
a Director of Public Prosecutions which
brings all criminal prosecutions. It also
conducts civil litigation and Judicial
Reviews in close consultation with the
AG. In addition a number of lawyers
have been deployed to work “inhouse”
in various Departments such
as the Ministry of Justice, the Office of
the Financial Secretary and the Income
Tax Office. This is a model that has
transformed the Government’s legal
service. It is the best legal service the
Government has ever had and one
which is increasingly attracting the
interest of lawyers from the private
sector. It continues to evolve. Our
next development will be to establish
the office of Solicitor General which
will fit into the organisational scheme
described above. Initial discussions
to this effect have already taken place
with the AG.
AN ANTI-CORRUPTION AUTHORITY
In 2011 we proposed the
establishment of an independent
Anti-Corruption Authority. We were
attacked by the GSD, in particular
Daniel Feetham, for proposing it. The
GSD said that they had full faith in
the RGP and HM Attorney General’s
Chambers to administer the provisions
of the bribery laws which (as set out
in the UK’s Bribery Act and Gibraltar’s
Crimes Act) and that an independent
Anti-Corruption Authority was
unnecessary. Additionally, the PDP,
then led by Keith Azopardi (now the
leader of the GSD) said it agreed with
the GSD and that there was no need
for an Anti-Corruption Authority. Mr
Azopardi added that merely referring
to the potential for such an authority
“would serve only to create alarmist
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