Bdos: CCJ not a hanging court

“The Caribbean Court of justice is not being inaugurated or established just to deal with death penalty cases,” says Attorney General Mia Mottley.

This was stated at a press conference held by the Attorney General to announcing the ruling by the British Privy Council, that the law which stipulates the death penalty in Barbados, is indeed constitutional.

According to Ms. Mottley, despite the CCJ’s role as final appellate court for Barbados, it is not to be a “hanging court”.

While Mottley did admit that the judges of the Caribbean, acting under the CCJ, may be better able to understand the values and mores of its people, it was not felt that the move from the British Privy Council was directly related to hanging.

There will be no new categories of murder created to broaden or narrow the scope for which one may be convicted and consequently given the death penalty.

According to Mottley, this is because the Barbadian legal system is very clear in relation to murder.

Here's hoping that the CCJ has the wit to allow the punishment to fit the crime. Caribbean people favor the death penalty; hopefully, the CCJ will operate according to Caribbean, rather than European, values.