ATTORNEY General Ryan Pinder.
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
ATTORNEY General Ryan Pinder said his view that the Bail Act does not need to be amended is not at odds with the Davis administration’s move to amend the law.
The amendment, revealed by Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis on Wednesday, would ensure bail is automatically revoked for people who violate their bail conditions.
However, after an event marking the Opening of the Legal Year nearly two weeks ago, Mr Pinder told reporters the Bail Act does not need to be amended.
“There’s adequate protection and adequate ability for the judiciary to deny bail in certain instances,” he said.
During an Office of the Prime Minister briefing yesterday, Mr Pinder said there has been no change of heart.
“If you would have seen my quote that was actually in the papers today, when asked that question, it was in the context of amending the Bail Act regarding the granting of bail and the denial of bail,” he said. “I made clear that our regime provides for that, and no amendments would be necessary because, as I described earlier, there are grounds for denial of bail.
“What this amendment seeks to do is provide a framework for bail to be revoked, which is a different context and concept from when I was asked the question. I still stand by those comments, but those comments were with respect to the granting of bail and parameters for the denial of bail.”
The Tribune reported yesterday that defence lawyers do not believe the amendment will significantly alter the status quo because people can still apply to the Supreme Court for bail and get it after magistrates revoke their bail.
“It’s two different subject matters,” Mr Pinder said. “I agree with the article; this isn’t going to deal with issues on the discretion to grant bail. What this deals with is the revoking of bail when you commit a crime and are convicted of that crime while you’re on bail.”
Magistrates can currently punish people who violate their bail conditions by fining them, as they often do, even when those people are accused of serious crimes such as murder. The amendment would remove this option and force magistrates to remand the accused. However, accused people could then apply and get bail from the Supreme Court without prohibition.
More like this story
- Not so fast - lawyers say Parliament can’t scrap bail
- Lawyers criticism of Bail Act amendment ‘misdirected’ and ‘misconceived’, says PM
- Pinder: FNM choosing politics and theatrics over being tough on crime
- AG hopes lower courts follow court of appeal on denying bail
- EDITORIAL: Bail change sounds good, but what will it really mean?
Comments
John 9 months, 3 weeks ago
The PM is definitely showboating and he and the attorney general and the minister of national security are not on the same page. The reason being this government has no real answers for crime, especially murder. The intention is to hoodwink and bamboozle the public and expect things get better. FOR EXAMPLE: MOST of the focus is on persons who have already committed crime and little is being said about intervention and prevention. FOR EXAMPLE; the minister of national security says the prison is overcrowded. BUT 90 percent or more of the prison population are persons on remand. Not convicted criminals. So how will this proposed bail act amendment impact that situation? Unless the numbers of persons committing crimes are reduced and the courts can speed up the pace and get more persons on remand convicted and serving time, then the bail act amendment alone will make a bad situation worse as far as overcrowding. So this government need to bring in trained personnel who can get into the heads of these young men and click off that criminal mind. If capital punishment is too inhumane and harsh then use corporal punishment. Bend the tree whilst it young. Nuff said.
carltonr61 9 months, 3 weeks ago
Crime is social in our recent daily spree. These deaths are are not defined and more symptomatic as not organized in any criminal group like a snake with a head where you could just cut off the head. Brave's innovation as with all nations post covid, heavily influenced my life on the internet is face this detachment from reality phenomenon. This virtual world devoid of sympathy, hope and dreams is a concrete dark world of life and death. But the only hope is to inspire the young that there is light at the end of the concrete jungle of under education, physical, emotional and spiritual depravity. Andros, the Big Yard must present opportunities and hope to our overcrowded communities now bursting with Abaco and Grand Bahama displaced. All over crowdedness leads to the same condition thecwirld over. It us just our turn to do something about it.
TalRussell 9 months, 3 weeks ago
At what percentage are we at, --- When the 11 to 28-year olds, --- Make up the majority of those 288888 popoulaces' --- Jammed together on what is considered to be, The Colony's --- Most crime occupied --- Out Island Capital of Nassau and Hog Island. --- Yes?
birdiestrachan 9 months, 3 weeks ago
Of course you are not, just silly people making foolish noise picking on every dam thing
themessenger 9 months, 3 weeks ago
Brave and the boys just doing what they do best, since they can't dazzle the people with brilliance, they just baffle them with bullshit!! Lol.
TalRussell 9 months, 3 weeks ago
Just over 1 hour ago — Kenya's High Court judge, Justice Chacha Mwita --- Blocked Kenya's president's --- Deployment of Kenyan policemans' to Haiti to help the Caribbean country bring gang violence under control, ---- Ruling that the president, does not have the authority to deploy policemans'. --- Yes, not looking so good a day,--- We Colony's, own Mr. Premiership.
carltonr61 9 months, 3 weeks ago
No excuses for the PLP but the world will face challenges as only wars are making money and it alone cannot drive the world economy. The peace dividends and construction buildup potential lacks hard currency.
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