Efforts to cut the backlog of criminal court cases waiting to be heard in Bermuda have been praised by Chief Justice Richard Ground.

At the start of the year, 44 cases from previous years could not be dealt with and needed to be carried over into 2006.

During the past 11 months, and despite low staffing levels, the Office of Public Prosecutions has "chipped away" at the backlog and is looking to carry over only 30 cases into the new year, according to Director of Public Prosecutions Vinette Graham Allen.

Of the 68 fresh cases for this year, only 25 are expected to still be pending by the end of December.

Ms Graham Allen said co-operation between Crown counsel and defence lawyers had helped to bring cases to the court more speedily.

She said: "Assuming the three cases for this month are completed within December we will carry only 25 cases from 2006 into 2007."

There are also three retrials dating back to cases in 2003 and 2004 and two cases from 2005 to be carried into the new year.

"At the end of the year, we have chipped away at the backlog, not withstanding the challenges we have at the public and defence bars," said Ms Graham Allen in reference to the low number of qualified and practising lawyers working Bermuda's criminal courts.

"Out of 14 people, we have four people capable to appear before Supreme Court," she said as she reported on the state of her department to Mr. Justice Ground at the December arraignments session.

The rate of staff loss at the Office of Public Prosecutions has slowed up and the cases are now being tried in court on average within three to six months rather than one year as had been the case.

"I would like, by the end of next year, to see us having only 10 cases that need to be carried over," said Ms Graham Allen.

In reply, Mr. Justice Ground acknowledged the challenges the Office of Public Prosecutions has faced because of a lack of staff and praised the hard work of its staff during the year and applauded the co-operation between the prosecution and defence lawyers in setting trial dates that has helped speed up the bringing of trials to court.