Chevaneese Sasha Gaye Hall v. The Attorney-General, Court of Appeal of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas (2016)

Chevaneese Sasha Gaye Hall was convicted of four counts of trafficking in persons, as well as two counts of unlawful withholding of identification papers under Sections 3 and 4 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prevention and Suppression) Act. Hall was sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison for these offenses. Hall later appealed her convictions and sentences, arguing that the trial itself was a nullity because the crimes with which she was charged were not “indictable offenses” pursuant to the Criminal Procedure Code Act, as the Supreme Court did not have jurisdiction over the matter. The Court of Appeal agreed, concluding that the trial court did not have jurisdiction to adjudicate her case, rendering the trial invalid. Her convictions and sentences were overturned.

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