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Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Prime Minister Bruce Golding on Tuesday opened debate on the death penalty in Gordon House.
Calls for the resumption of hanging have become more strident in recent weeks in the face of a drastic escalation in violent crime.
In his presentation, Mr. Golding acknowledged that the issue is a thorny one and called on parliamentarians to vote their conscience instead of voting on party lines.
He however declined to reveal on what side of the debate he would come down.
"On this side, every member is free, nobody is subjected to any pressure and it's for that reason that I'm not prepared in opening the debate to pronounce in terms of where my vote will go ... where I will vote will be known will be known when the Clerk rises to take the vote of members," he said.
Grand public attempt - Pickersgill
Opposition Member Robert Pickersgill however, dismissed the debate as mere verbiage as it is likely that the resolution to retain the death penalty will be passed.
"Unless the motion is amended to some specific undertaking by this Government in this Parliament as to what it intends to do in the event of a vote fro the retention of the penalty, we further contend that this debate on conscience vote would amount to nothing more than a grand public relations attempt signifying nothing," he said.
Gov't members split
Three other Parliamentarians also contributed to the debate.
overnment members Laurence Broderick and Daryl Vaz both acknowledged the inadequacies of the justice system in correctly determining guilt or innocence of defendants but both said they would affirm capital punishment in line with the desires of their constituents.
Meanwhile, North East St. Catherine MP Gregory Mair said despite the high crime rate and the suffering of those who lose loved ones to crime he could not support the death penalty as he believes in the sanctity of life.
http://www.radiojamaica.com/content/view/13179/51/
Prime Minister Bruce Golding on Tuesday opened debate on the death penalty in Gordon House.
Calls for the resumption of hanging have become more strident in recent weeks in the face of a drastic escalation in violent crime.
In his presentation, Mr. Golding acknowledged that the issue is a thorny one and called on parliamentarians to vote their conscience instead of voting on party lines.
He however declined to reveal on what side of the debate he would come down.
"On this side, every member is free, nobody is subjected to any pressure and it's for that reason that I'm not prepared in opening the debate to pronounce in terms of where my vote will go ... where I will vote will be known will be known when the Clerk rises to take the vote of members," he said.
Grand public attempt - Pickersgill
Opposition Member Robert Pickersgill however, dismissed the debate as mere verbiage as it is likely that the resolution to retain the death penalty will be passed.
"Unless the motion is amended to some specific undertaking by this Government in this Parliament as to what it intends to do in the event of a vote fro the retention of the penalty, we further contend that this debate on conscience vote would amount to nothing more than a grand public relations attempt signifying nothing," he said.
Gov't members split
Three other Parliamentarians also contributed to the debate.
overnment members Laurence Broderick and Daryl Vaz both acknowledged the inadequacies of the justice system in correctly determining guilt or innocence of defendants but both said they would affirm capital punishment in line with the desires of their constituents.
Meanwhile, North East St. Catherine MP Gregory Mair said despite the high crime rate and the suffering of those who lose loved ones to crime he could not support the death penalty as he believes in the sanctity of life.
http://www.radiojamaica.com/content/view/13179/51/