British, E.U., criticise death penalty

With a growing number of Caribbean countries planning to eliminate the Privy Council as their final appellate court for class A murders, today, the European community formally put in their two cents on the issue. Via a press release from the British High Commission in Belmopan, the European Union characterizes attempts by Belize and Barbados to amend their constitutions to facilitate capital punishment as a step backwards for the development of human rights in the region. While the E.U. maintains that every country must bring criminals to justice, they believe that the death penalty impairs human dignity and increases the level of brutality in society. It also, they say, does not act to deter crime. The release urges the governments of Belize and Barbados to maintain the de facto moratorium on the death penalty and ends ominously, with the E.U. promising to keep an eye on the future decisions of both Caribbean governments.

In early September, Prime Minister Said Musa unequivocally stated that: “Our courts-that is the courts physically located in our region–are better able to understand the social issues, attitudes and ethos that impact on the law’s evolution than her Majesty’s Privy Council in England.” According to Chief of Staff, Francis Fonseca, the E.U. position will be discussed Tuesday in Cabinet. Class A murders include murder committed in the course of theft, murder by shooting, murder committed in the course of resisting or avoiding arrest, or attempting to escape from lawful arrest, as well as murder of a police officer or prison officer, acting in the execution of his or her duty.