Protecting witnesses is a complex and challenging task. Two reports from different parts of the world highlight some of the difficulties that abound. The attorney general of the Bahamas and a senior Bahamian police official highlighted the difficulty of operating a witness protection program in a relatively small community. It is difficult to hide and protect someone when there is little space and in a population of under 300,000 people. In Kenya, there are increasing calls for improvements to witness protection as post-election violence continues to escalate.

The issues vary considerably, but a common concern is the need to engage in robust and secure processes to ensure that candidates for witness protection are properly dealt with and subsequent provision of protection is properly managed. IT systems can be a valuable tool in managing witness protection procedure and policy.