William Forbes (Appellant) v The King (Respondent) (Bahamas)

Case summary

Case ID

JCPC/2025/0123

Jurisdiction

Bahamas

Parties

Appellant(s)

William Forbes

Respondent(s)

The King

Issue

(1) Whether the Court of Appeal erred in not re-opening the Appellant’s appeal against sentence and (2) whether the Appellant’s appeal against the sentence ought to be allowed.

Facts

The Appellant, William Forbes, was prosecuted for murdering his then-girlfriend. In 2012, he was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to fifty years imprisonment. His appeal against the conviction and sentence was dismissed in 2015 by the Court of Appeal. In 2024, the Court of Appeal declined to re-open the Appellant’s appeal against sentence following the successful appeal in a separate case by Roger Watson against a fifty-year sentence for manslaughter. The Appellant now appeals that decision, and the decision on sentencing, to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Date of issue

22 December 2025

Case origin

PTA

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