Cabinet gets tough on repeat offenders

Life will soon become tougher for those convicted offenders who insist on continuing a life of crime. Cabinet has announced its decision to take discretion out of the hands of Magistrates and automatically deny bail to those defendants who have previous convictions for serious crimes. Those crimes include attempted murder, robbery, firearms offences, drug trafficking or aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. While the law presently denies bail for such repeat offenders, loopholes allow special pleadings, which have been widely used by high profile defendants. Under the new amendments proposed by Cabinet there will be no expectations and appeals allowed. While prevailing public opinion seems to support the new measures, law enforcement officers contacted by News 5 point out that the most immediate effect of the get tough policy will be a large increase in the number of defendants incarcerated awaiting trial. They point out that if the prison is not expanded and the court system fails to improve its efficiency, Hattieville will surely become the nation’s fastest growing–not to mention dangerous–municipality.

In other news from Cabinet, that body has signalled its approval of the creation of the Caribbean Court of Justice as the court of final appeal in all criminal cases and trade disputes within CARICOM. It will explore the possibility of retaining the Privy Council as the final adjudication in civil cases. Any changes in the present arrangement with the Privy Council will require a constitutional amendment. Beginning on Monday a team from CARICOM will be in Belize to field questions from various groups and the public in general on both the C.C.J. and single market and economy.