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We have seen many cases is the US where the Innocence project has freed many innocent persons from capital punishment. Given the level of perceived or real corruption in the Jamaican Justice System, I suspect that many of the persons on death row did not commit the crime that they were convicted for. The bottom line is that if we resume hanging then many innocent poor persons are going to be hanged.
I say clean up the entire justice system, establish new standards for capital murder, and then put the to a referendum.
MPs to vote by conscience on hanging issue
T K WHYTE, Observer correspondent editorial@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, October 05, 2007
SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine - Members of Parliament are likely to be called on soon to vote by conscience on whether or not Jamaica should resume hanging, the punishment for capital murder.
Jamaica last hanged a murder convict in 1988, under the then Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Government led by Edward Seaga.
Senator Arthur Williams, junior security minister in the new JLP Government, following a tour of the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre on Wednesday, told the Observer that the controversial hanging issue will be put to the vote and MPs, instead of voting along party lines, will be asked to vote by conscience. The administration, said Williams, will abide by the decision of MPs.
"As long as it is the law of Jamaica that hanging must take place (then) under this Government it will take place," Williams said.
".Very shortly every single member of the House - both the House and the Senate - will have an opportunity to make a conscience vote on the issue, and when that is over, whatever the outcome, then we will abide by it," Williams told the Observer.
The junior minister, who was accompanied on the tour by head of the correctional services, Major Richard Reese, also inspected the gallows which Reese said are serviced weekly, although hanging had been suspended since 1988 when two murder convicts were executed.
"The gallows must be consistently maintained and kept in good working order so that the law of the land can be carried out at anytime that the ministry or the authorities determine that an execution must take place," Reese said. "The gallows were serviced this week and are inspected on a regular basis by personnel from the Ministry of Works."
The last People's National Party Government, which demitted office last month after more than 18 years in power, was faced with several legal challenges as it grappled with the issue of hanging, although the party had promised in its campaign leading up to the 2002 general elections that capital punishment would be resumed.
One of the hurdles in the way of the government was the Pratt and Morgan ruling, where the Judicial Committee of the United Kingdom Privy Council ruled that inmates on death row for more than five years should have their sentences commuted to life.
There are 45 convicted prisoners on death row awaiting the hangman's noose.
I say clean up the entire justice system, establish new standards for capital murder, and then put the to a referendum.
MPs to vote by conscience on hanging issueT K WHYTE, Observer correspondent editorial@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, October 05, 2007
SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine - Members of Parliament are likely to be called on soon to vote by conscience on whether or not Jamaica should resume hanging, the punishment for capital murder.
Jamaica last hanged a murder convict in 1988, under the then Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Government led by Edward Seaga.
Senator Arthur Williams, junior security minister in the new JLP Government, following a tour of the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre on Wednesday, told the Observer that the controversial hanging issue will be put to the vote and MPs, instead of voting along party lines, will be asked to vote by conscience. The administration, said Williams, will abide by the decision of MPs.
"As long as it is the law of Jamaica that hanging must take place (then) under this Government it will take place," Williams said.
".Very shortly every single member of the House - both the House and the Senate - will have an opportunity to make a conscience vote on the issue, and when that is over, whatever the outcome, then we will abide by it," Williams told the Observer.
The junior minister, who was accompanied on the tour by head of the correctional services, Major Richard Reese, also inspected the gallows which Reese said are serviced weekly, although hanging had been suspended since 1988 when two murder convicts were executed.
"The gallows must be consistently maintained and kept in good working order so that the law of the land can be carried out at anytime that the ministry or the authorities determine that an execution must take place," Reese said. "The gallows were serviced this week and are inspected on a regular basis by personnel from the Ministry of Works."
The last People's National Party Government, which demitted office last month after more than 18 years in power, was faced with several legal challenges as it grappled with the issue of hanging, although the party had promised in its campaign leading up to the 2002 general elections that capital punishment would be resumed.
One of the hurdles in the way of the government was the Pratt and Morgan ruling, where the Judicial Committee of the United Kingdom Privy Council ruled that inmates on death row for more than five years should have their sentences commuted to life.
There are 45 convicted prisoners on death row awaiting the hangman's noose.
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