The Constitution provides for an independent judiciary, and the Government generally respects this provision in practice. The judicial system consists of the Supreme Court, which has appellate powers, and a series of lower courts. Final appeal may be made to the Privy Council in the United Kingdom. There are no political or military courts. The Constitution provides for the right to a fair trial, and an independent judiciary vigorously enforces this right.
Defendants have the right to private or court-appointed counsel.
The 1995 Dangerous Drugs Act, which would permit law enforcement authorities to hold suspected drug traffickers for up to 36 hours without access to bail or legal counsel, is undergoing judicial review and has not been implemented. Because of questions concerning the constitutionality of the law, the Government promised to introduce legislation to amend the act in 1999. There are no political prisoners. The Constitution prohibits such practices, government authorities generally respect these provisions, and violations are subject to legal sanction. Both human rights lawyers and police authorities said that illegal entry by the intelligence apparatus had ceased.