Visiting lawyers oppose “hanging amendment”
Public opinion may be running strongly in favour of the death penalty, but that seems to have only strengthened the resolve of those opposed to hanging. Today the Association of National Development Agencies held a forum on the proposed amendment to the Belize Constitution that would eliminate the Privy Council as the court of final appeal in certain capital cases. News 5’s Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
To spark deeper thought on the death penalty issue, SPEAR and the Human Rights Commission are hosting Trinidadian Human Rights Attorney, Gregory Delzin, and Professor Bryan Stevenson, Director of the Alabama Equal Justice Initiative. Stevenson says human rights belong to everyone, not just law-abiding citizens.
Bryan Stevenson, Dir., Alabama Equal Rights Initiative
“The issue is whether we can create a second class of people, a different class of people who have been convicted of Class A murder and give them less rights than the rest of the folks. This amendment in our judgement does that and we’re asking people to talk about that because we think that raises very serious issues about access to justice and fairness and equality.”
“I think that because there is this emphasis on carrying out a death sentences that tends to preoccupy people. But this is really much more basic than that and there are international treaties and obligations that Belize is subjected to that are going to be violated if this amendment gets passed.”
But while Stevenson opposes the death penalty, he does believe in punishment.
Prof. Bryan Stevenson
“I think that we can punish people very severely for violent crimes and we can put people in prison for life, we can create very lengthy punishments that are fair and reliable and that are enforced. We have every right to protect ourselves when people are being attacked and assaulted, and no one in my judgement can or should speak against that.”
Chairman of ANDA, Dennis Jones, says the umbrella organization feels that if the amendments are passed, it should be done in consultation with the community.
Dennis Jones, Chairman, ANDA
“The Constitution is the fundamental law of Belize. Belize is based on this Constitution. So I don’t think that the amendment should be made without full discussion, full disclosure, full information on what are the ramifications, what will be the effects of the change in the Constitution, both in terms of the people in Belize who will be affected, mostly criminals in this instance, but also the fact that once you start to erode the rights of some segment of the Belizean population, in fact all of us are affected.”
Marion Ali for News 5.
It is felt by government that the Privy Council’s opposition to the death penalty would have the practical effect of eliminating hanging in Belize. It is the intention of government to appoint the Caribbean Court of Justice as the court of last resort as soon as it comes into existence.
