Four years after UK Judge Stephen Tumim tendered his groundbreaking report on criminal justice in Bermuda, Government has reported significant progress -- and one setback -- in implementing its 34 recommendations.

Action has been taken on 24 recommendations ranging from the reorganisation of the Police Service, ending prison terms for road traffic offences, and the establishment of a Committee on Unity and Racial Equality (CURE), Deputy Premier Jerome Dill yesterday declared at a late-afternoon press conference.

Nine of the report's recommendations are still in process he added, while the suggestion to merge the operations of Police, Prisons, and Probation under one Ministry has been rejected outright. No progress, has been made -- or is likely to be -- to ensure those persons convicted of minor drug offences are not barred from travelling to the US, he said.

Flanked by the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Quinton Edness, and the Minister of Health and Social Services, Clarence Terceira, Mr. Dill offered a largely upbeat assessment on Government's performance, saying four years to implement social change was not an unreasonable amount of time: "Changing the way things are done by Government agencies is seldom an easy task. Any departure from the norm is formally considered at least by the department concerned, often by Cabinet, and sometimes by other agencies as well.'' Among the recommendations that have been realised, said Mr. Dill, were: the establishment of a Family Court system; the abolition of offences such as "wandering abroad''; greater authority for the National Drug Commission; education programmes for young cycle riders; and enhanced training for Prison staff.

And plans were underway for Police to introduce audio and videotape recordings of people under investigation of crimes and the establishment of a working structure for the administration of non-custodial sentences.

Meanwhile Government's get-tough approach against drug traffickers and the establishment of drug exclusion zones around schools was proof that a "positive paradigm shift'' has emerged from Tumim's recommendation to distinguish between drug users and drug pushers, said Dr. Terceira. "The no-go-zones deal with those who are the purveyors of drugs as opposed to those who are the victims,'' he said.

Shadow Minister of Labour and Home Affairs Alex Scott provided a less than enthusiastic assessment of Government's implementation of Tumim's report.

"Tumim had a pretty broad brief and many of his observations were not recommending progressive steps, rather these were things that should have been in place already in the 1990s.

"This press conference sounds more like a photo-op,'' said Mr. Scott. "I do believe it's very curious that the Government should come out with a progress report on Tumim.

"It looks like they're trying to put in place a paper trail with an eye to an election.''