Supreme Court workers are staying tight-lipped about why last Tuesday's murder trial of Stanford Glenfield Archibald had to be aborted because there were insufficient jurors.

The Royal Gazette rang Registrar Charlene Scott to question her about the jury panel. One of her staff rang back and said that information could be obtained from the Department of Public Prosecutions.

But Director of Public Prosecutions Khamisi Tokunbo said: "I don't know why they are saying that. It's a matter for the courts."

He said the court had the responsibility to identify panel members and summon them for jury duty.

He said: "Both the prosecution and the defence were ready to go and I had overseas witnesses but we were informed at the last moment there was a problem."

Stanford Glenfield Archibald, 38, is accused of the 1985 murder of 19-year-old Aaron Glen Easton who was found lying in a pool of blood on Laffan Street.

Archibald, formerly of Sandys Parish, has been living in Scotland with his wife and two children for several years and was arrested when he returned home for a vacation.

Defence lawyer Mark Pettingill is now trying to get bail for Archibald who has been on remand for 14 months.