On 9 to 10 May, the US Embassy to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and the OECS partnered with the Judicial Education Institute of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court to provide training in Grenada to regional attorneys and financial investigators on civil asset recovery.
The purpose of the training was to improve regional attorneys and financial investigators’ knowledge of civil asset recovery, and promote best practice in this area of law. The training was an example of the close working relationship between the Eastern Caribbean states and the United States to promote the rule of law and enhance citizen security.
Grenada introduced civil asset recovery powers when it passed the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act No. 2 Act No. 35 of 2014. In doing so, Grenada became the fourth country in the Eastern Caribbean to introduce civil asset recovery legislation. Since the new law took effect, criminal justice agencies in Grenada have made full use of the powers contained within the legislation.
While the legislation contains many protections for innocent owners of property, it is designed to ensure that property that is proven to have been obtained through crime will be recovered and restitution paid.
“Civil asset recovery aims to strip criminals of unlawfully obtained assets,” said US Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and the OECS, Linda Taglialatela. “This mechanism allows recovered proceeds to be used to better resource criminal justice agencies and community programs related to drug rehabilitation and education.”
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