FNM leader Michael Pintard speaks during a press conference at FNM Headquarters to address the PLP’s performance during their past three years in office. Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement (FNM) leader Michael Pintard couldn’t say yesterday whether his party would remove the Privy Council as the highest appellate court for murder convictions if elected to increase the likelihood that the death penalty sentencing would be upheld.
He spoke after FNM Senator Darren Henfield voiced support for capital punishment and said the Court of Appeal should replace the Privy Council as the final authority in such cases. The constitution allows parliamentarians to pass ordinary legislation that allows this while maintaining the Privy Council as the final appellate court for other matters.
Attorney General Ryan Pinder told The Tribune the Davis administration is not considering Mr Henfield’s recommendation.
Mr Pintard, meanwhile, said the FNM has yet to discuss the possibility thoroughly. He said some members have already raised the issue through various party channels but emphasised the importance of further consultations among parliamentarians, party members, and relevant stakeholders to fully consider the implications of such a transition.
“We believe that that position is one of the things that is on the table,” he said. “So we do not rule it out, but nor at this time am I willing to confirm it.”
Although the law allows for capital punishment, the death penalty has not been enforced since January 2000, when David Mitchell was executed for stabbing two German tourists to death.
In 2006, the London-based Privy Council ruled that the country’s mandatory death sentence for convicted murderers was unconstitutional.
While in opposition, former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis pledged that if elected, he would immediately seek to amend the constitution to remove the UK-based Privy Council as the highest court of appeal for murder convicts.
However, that never happened, and FNM legislators did not publicly call for action.
In a voice note yesterday, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) chairman Fred Mitchell criticised Mr Henfield’s position, calling it “shameless pandering.”
“Last week in the House, I asked the FNM what more they want us to do now. Now, they have the answer: hanging something which they couldn’t figure out to do and something which they know is not now possible in Bahamian jurisprudence and law. The senator is a lawyer, and he knows life is not simple, nor is justice that simple.”
Mr Mitchell noted that the Privy Council only permits executions in the most severe cases, with no prospect of rehabilitation, a standard he said no Caribbean country has met.
He said: “So now here you have the FNM politician, the one who served in the government for four and a half years. During that time, the FNM hanged not one person. If they were so convinced that hanging was the answer, why didn’t they do it?”
Comments
Sickened 2 months, 2 weeks ago
I'm an FNM and I way kill murderers, child molesters and rapists. We don't know those types of people walking among us. If you don't want to hang them then at least let scientists dissect them for learning why they are so despicable.
bahamianson 2 months, 2 weeks ago
How can they have the death penalty in the united states of america , and we cannot have it here? Arw we that backward or just stupid to listen to the fnmand the plp play football with us? I am not voting until they define the worst of the worst or drop england. I am not voting until they create the freedom of information act, so crooked poloticians can go to jail. Also, campaign finance laws need to be introduced. I work too hard while politicians get elected to eat from the gravy train.
TalRussell 2 months, 1 week ago
The RedShirts' Movement (RSM) -- Is convinced that offering Hangin" -- Will boost voter turnout in a By or National Election -- Really --- For which party's candidates' -- Yes?
hrysippus 2 months, 1 week ago
There is no evidence that State Sanctioned executions have any effect on the murder rate in a country. In fact the higher the murder rate is the more likely that the country executes people. In the USA is has been estimated that 5% of citizens convicted of a crime are not actually guilty of that crime. Most of the supporters of the death penalty would probably rapidly change their minds if they were wrongly arrested and convicted of murder.
ExposedU2C 2 months, 1 week ago
The death penalty for the horrific crimes committed would certainly help with our current revolving-door prison policy which requires violent criminals take their turn spending time in prison as a result of our prison over-population problem. For every new violent criminal sent to prison, an already imprisoned one must be set free to make room for them, and this has been going on for decades now.
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