National

COI: We Need A Referendum on Capital Punishment

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Coalition of Independents is calling for changes to laws surrounding capital punishment.

Published

4 days ago

November 30, 2024

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The Coalition of Independents is calling for changes to laws surrounding capital punishment. Protests outside Parliament earlier this week followed the arrest of 11 Bahamians, including high-ranking law enforcement officers, amid mounting public outrage over recent violent crimes.

Williams Knowles – Shadow Minister for Finance, Coalition of Independents
“I propose that the referendum include the following key points: Number one, mandatory death penalty. Any person convicted of murder shall be sentenced to death with the exception of the mentally ill. Number two, judicial limitations. Courts shall not have the authority to alter, commute, or stay the execution of a death sentence for any reason. Number three, override of inconsistent judgments. Any prior judgments, including those by the Privy Council in the Maxo Tito case, that are inconsistent with this amendment shall be rendered null and void.”

The group also pointed out gaps in existing laws.

Lincoln Bain – Leader, Coalition of Independents
“There is a loophole in our system that a lot of Bahamians don’t realize. Not only is the ‘worst of the worst’ not defined in our law, but also life imprisonment is not defined in our law. That means we have persons that have done nine years, 10 years, and they are considered to have done life, and they are released back on the streets. So that means someone that commits a heinous crime and, instead of getting the death penalty, they get life; that means in nine or 10 years, they can be back on the streets.”

Attorney Maria Daxon noted the absence of female representation in defining critical terms surrounding capital punishment.

Maria Daxon – Attorney
“The majority of persons out here are women. When I look at this Maxo Tito verdict, all men. All men judges. Not one woman sat in the Privy Council and classified what the ‘worst of the worst’ is. Watch this—we, the women. These men never had any children; they never born any children. We understand the pain.”