Ordinary Court Martial of Private Raheem Reeves Adjourned
BDF Media Release| May 21
Photography: BDF Media
Headquarters Barbados Defence Force wishes to advise that the Ordinary Court Martial of Private Raheem Reeves has been adjourned and has not been dismissed.
The Convening Officer, The Chief of Staff – Colonel Glyne Grannum is currently reviewing the advice the President of the Court Martial, Major Alfred Taylor. The Judge Advocate Principal Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney advised the President and the members of the Court Martial that the case has been prejudiced by the improper actions of the Nation News, Barbados Today and Barbados Advocate media agencies.
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The Judge Advocate explained that the panel in the Court Martial of Private Reeves R, comprising of five commissioned officers, is akin to the nine (9) or twelve (12) jurors in a High Court trial, who have been selected to decide on a verdict for the accused. Thus, when the Court Martial Panel was withdrawn, proceedings in their absence, must not be published or disclosed to them in anyway.
The publishing of Voir Dire proceedings is contrary to the Defence Rules of Procedure and also for similar matters heard at a High Court. Additionally, there was further direction to the stenographer, by the Judge Advocate, that the transcript should be edited or redacted to remove the Voir Dire proceedings. The media was present for these directions. These directions and the media practitioners’ knowledge of Voir Dire proceedings, should have guided the said members of the media in attendance at the Hearing.
The Covening Officer has however, at his disposal, the ability to dissolve this current Court Martial and convene a new trial at another date.
Commodore (Cdre) Errington Ricardo Shurland was appointed Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) on 1 September 2021. He enlisted in the BDF in February 1984 and in a military career spanning over 34 years, has served in various operational and administrative appointments.
Colonel Glyne Grannum joined the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) on 18 October 1985 and underwent career development training at the Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School, Chilliwack and the Combat Training Centre, Gagetown New Brunswick, Canada. He subsequently attended the Infantry Training Centre and the Signal Wing in Warminster, UK (PCBC and RSO Courses respectively), the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo, Italy; the Lester Pearson Canadian Peacekeeping Centre, the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College, Kingston, the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, Toronto, the National Defence University of the People’s Liberation Army People’s Republic of China and the Centre for Hemispheric Defence Studies, National Defence University, Washington. He also attended a Defence Resources Management programme at National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa, Canada. In addition to being a qualified infantry officer, Col Grannum is a qualified Regimental Signals Officer and a former Operations Officer and Finance Officer of the BDF.
Colonel Banfield joined the Barbados Battalion of the South Caribbean Force in 1941 having just left the Cadet Corps at Combermere School, and was granted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in 1942. He was a Platoon Commander and a Company Commander during the war and served in Barbados, Dominica (as part of the Gale Force), St Lucia and St Vincent.
Warrant Officer Class 1 Colin Marshall is a graduate of the St Michael, and was born on the 5 November 1969 and enlisted in the Barbados Defence Force on 16 August 1994. He was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal in August 1997, Corporal in 1999, Sergeant in 2007, Color Sergeant in 2014, Warrant Officer Class Two in 2017 and Warrant Officer Class One in 2020. He was Most Outstanding Student on Junior Leadership Course in 1998, the Most Outstanding Student on Junior Non Commissioned Officer Cadre in Jamaica in 2000, best at Leadership on the Search Adviser Course in Jamaica in 2007 and the Most Outstanding Student on the Warrant Officer Course in Jamaica in 2015.
