Don’t rush
Adriel Brathwaite: cautioned against making hasty decision on hangings.
Sat, September 04, 2010 - 12:00 AM
Barbados shouldn’t let itself be pressured into making a hasty decision on whether or not to resume hangings.
Parliamentarian Adriel Brathwaite, who has just completed a two-month stint as attorney-general, made this point to reporters yesterday during a break in a meeting of legal minds at Hilton Barbados.
Brathwaite took the position that in a number of cases the courts might have “gotten it wrong” in delivering a guilty-of-murder verdict, “so we shouldn’t rush to exact that ultimate penalty unless we are sure”.
“. . . There is always that possibility (of a mistake being made),” he added.
“But we have not made a determination, as Barbados, or as a region, whether or not we should have hanging (again) and, I dare say, we should not let it be imposed upon us by other forces.”
Barbados has not carried out a hanging for several years. Some people who had been on death row have had their sentences commuted to life.
The reprieve is in line with the 1990s ruling by a committee of the Privy Council in Britain that delays of five years and more in carrying out executions constitute cruel and inhumane treatment, contrary to some constitutions.
Coming against this background, the launch of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to replace the Privy Council as the final court of appeal from civil and criminal decisions has come under some fire.
Some critics said Caribbean leaders wanted to use the CCJ as their own “hanging court” to counter what has become known as the Pratt and Morgan ruling.
However, Brathwaite dismissed the comment yesterday. He said he thought establishing the court “was the right thing to do (regarding) moving in terms of our development”.
“Even what we found or what we were finding is that lots of decisions that came down from the House of Lords, that came down from the Privy Council, seemed not to have kept pace with our own development, in terms of what was happening in the Caribbean,” he added.
“I don’t understand why anyone would think that someone from outside the region could be better at determining our own destiny than ourselves.”
He said there had been no suggestions from the CCJ that it would end up being a “hanging court”.
He told reporters that Trinidad and Tobago had been “ambivalent” about the CCJ, but Minister of Justice Herbert Volney was now threatening to hang criminals publicly in Woodford Square,Port-of-Spain.
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Reporters in Barbados are persons who walk around with microphones but who do no sort of investigations after receiving a story.
Case in point, here is a story where Mr. Brathwaite says the death penalty has been carried out for a number of years. Couldn’t the reporter in the article state how many years. This is why I don’t purchase this newspaper too often.
Here is some reasearch in 2007 the barbados Gov was told it has to abolish the death penalty. After the sentences of huggins et al were commuted.
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Comment LinkPeople are content to look for excuses, but the crime rate is rising over all the Carbbean. We must come to the realization that because of certain acts some people can no longer live among us. We think we should follow the metropolitan countries and outlaw hanging. Hanging is a deterrent. You want to know how? Show me a man who was hanged who killed again.
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Comment LinkSO THEN WHY SEND PEOPLE TO PRISON FOR FIRE ARMS, OR SEND ANYONE TO PRISON FOR ANYTHING AT ALL? I AM SURE IF MURDER KNOCKED A LITTLE CLOSER TO YOUR DOOR STEP YOU WILL BE SINGING A DIFFERENT SONG
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Comment LinkWith the Crime rate in Barbados going out of control, how could Mr.Brathwaite who was acting AG say that Barbados should not resume hanging? The sentences are so linient to begin with.When last anyone was convicted on a murder charge?I would like to know what Mr.Brathwaite would say to the families that lost their relatives in this horrible crime. If these bandits are caught I want to see what will be the charges. I hope I don`t hear that they only went to rob and not kill any
one or set the place on fire.
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Comment LinkThe ordinary people of Barbados should be the ones to make the decision as to whether or not we resume hanging. I am sure if a survey is carried out today, most Barbadians want hanging to resume. After that fire last night I hope that there will be a NATIONAL OUTCRY for the gallows to be used again. There are some members of our society who are born innately evil.
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Comment LinkSince last year I was using this forum to warn Barbadians
on the emerging Ghetto culture and crime in Barbados. At that time some people accused me of being hard and heartless. back then I said that if the authorities did not take swift firm and decisive action, that Barbadians would see crimes that we had never seen in Barbados before.We are now at the POINT OF NO RETURN,the help of our legal system.
Yes, people our legal system is to be blame for a lot of crime in Barbados today, because when harden CRIMINALS appears before the court they are given a slap on the hand or a pat of the back. The police are also to take some of the blame, sometimes when they are called to serious incident, they don’t turn up, or if they do turn up the matter is not treated in the way it should be handle by the police.
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Comment LinkI have witness some incidents of violence and crime in the Gap recently, and I was totally shock by the way the matters were treated by the police. The police must must carry out their duty in a serious and professional manner. The time has come in Barbados where serious crime must be dealt with severely.May our GOD help us all.
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Comment LinkThings like last night could’ve been avoided if there were actions already in place to deter people from this sort of behavior. Human life is precious, no doubt about that, so what about the lives of people being lost over senseless acts? What about them families who gotta be hurting over the detestable things going on? Obviously the system in place is NOT working. A man who killed his wife got some intent of wounding charge? Are you serious? The man KILL the woman, it is murder, just like last night with those SIX innocent lives lost including a young life who didn’t even get a -chance-!
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Comment Linklisten ... we as a society can find other ways to deal with crime other than hanging . no man has the right to take another mans life especially a man that has that has the luxury to think consciously and deliberate on such an issue. you are no different from the man who kills if you kill him as well. reason over passion people.. there is a thin line that makes us different from the animals that line is marked by law and reason. they are mechanism in place to deal with law breakers its called prison. its a dangerous thing when people start to act only on personal feelings and impulse and not reason and law dont let your personal influence your principle.
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Comment Linki say hang, hang, hang, if my sons or family members commit crime punishable for hanging, i say hang them too.My little island barbados is loosing its pride and industry to crimes, mr prime minister please do something before its no more island in the sun left, i beg you.Six innocent lives has gone,may God wrath come down upon who commit this heinous crime..
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Comment Linkhow could he say that and crime spiraling out of control,i sure none of those women that died family to hims so he ain’t care he in he suit and today he happy he ain’t got nuh feelings though. i say hang them, hang them hight let the criminal element in Barbados now that when they commit a crime they have to pay. wonder what he would say if one of those that died was his daughter,niece,god-daughter.i sure he would want the gallows swinging. me i will never vote for the DLP again.
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