Victoria - Criminals and lawyers in the Seychelles islands are conspiring to delay court cases so the felons can enjoy Christmas before serving their sentences, a top judge said on Friday.

"Why rush to prison when you can delay the process and celebrate Christmas in freedom first?" the islands' chief judge Vivekanand Allear told Reuters.

With holidays highly prized in the laid-back Indian Ocean islands, some prisoners have been known to bust out for festivals before then heading back to their cells.

But now they are working with lawyers on delaying tactics before they're imprisoned, Allear said, citing failures to attend hearings and constant moves to adjourn cases as typical delaying tactics.
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