Chief Justice Bryan Sykes has announced that the sentencing of former People’s National Party MP Jolyan Silvera will be streamed live to the public when proceedings resume on March 6.
Sykes made the announcement Thursday during a media engagement called “Conversation with the Judiciary,” explaining that the decision to allow livestreaming was made easier by the fact that the case has moved past its most sensitive stage. Since only the sentencing remains — with no more witnesses to protect — the court felt comfortable opening the proceedings to a wider audience.
“We are now at the point where it is just the sentencing that is left, and that process is easier to manage,” Sykes told reporters, contrasting the situation with the earlier phases of the trial that led up to Silvera’s guilty plea.
The Chief Justice also took time to explain why Gun Court proceedings have historically been held out of the public eye. The court was specifically designed to fast-track violent firearms cases while shielding witnesses from identification — a concern he said remains as pressing today as when the court was first established. The threat to witnesses has not diminished over time, he noted, and legislation continuing to reflect that reality is a reflection of ongoing safety needs rather than outdated caution.
Silvera, who faced a murder charge in connection with the death of his wife, pleaded guilty earlier this month to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Prosecutors indicated they would accept the reduced plea, and Sykes ruled Thursday that he would as well — setting March 6 as the date Silvera will learn his fate.
