A judge at one of the leading drug courts in the US arrived in Bermuda yesterday to advise local officials on setting up a similar court.

Invited to the Island by the National Drug Commission, Judge John Parnham of Pensacola, Florida will meet with several key members of the judiciary and Government during his brief visit.

NDC Acting Chief Executive Officer Derrick Binns told The Royal Gazette Mr.

Parnham will share his expertise on drug courts.

Premier Pamela Gordon earlier this month revealed that Government was considering the creation of a court to deal with addicts who committed drug-related offences.

Ms Gordon said the court could be used to refer the addicts to treatment programmes and would hopefully "reduce recidivism''.

Yesterday, Dr. Binns explained that an NDC contingent visited Mr. Parnham's court in February to see the drug court in action.

"Due to our contact with him and how impressed with him we were, we decided to invite Judge Parnham to Bermuda,'' he said.

Mr. Parnham -- who is facing a "extremely full'' schedule -- is accompanied by the director of the Office of Justice Programmes at American University, Joseph Trotter.

Mr. Trotter's office has received a technical assistance grant from the US Justice Department to collect information about drug courts throughout the US.

Mr. Parnham is expected to give the NDC feedback before leaving the Island on Tuesday.

Noting that drug courts existed in virtually every state in the US, Dr. Binns added: "The NDC is interested in the drug court concept and how it may be able to operate in Bermuda.'' However, he pointed out that Mr. Parnham's visit was "a beginning planning process on how this could be done.'' And he stressed that the NDC will not be imposing an American court system on Bermuda which follows the British judicial system.

For this reason, Dr. Binns added, the anti-drug organisation wanted input from key people in the judiciary.

But, he added, much will depend on how the Chief Justice, the Attorney General, and Government react to the concept.

COURTS CTS