THE EDITOR: I was pleased at the package to crime-fighting bills passed in parliament some weeks ago. Many of these were long overdue and required special majorities and opposition support.
Despite challenges over the years with getting some of these laws passed, I must congratulate the government for persisting to the point where they were not only passed but assented to by the President, making them law.
While these pieces of legislation are not the silver bullet to solve crime, they will play a vital role in the fight.
The biggest success for me was the passage of the Bail Amendment Bill which was recently proclaimed. For over a decade, dating back to the UNC government, the restriction of bail for serious offences has been seen as a necessary tool in the fight against crime.
The Bail Amendment Bill 2011 was passed by the UNC government, with then PNM Opposition support. However, for reasons only known to them, the UNC opposition reversed its position and withdrew support for the bill upon its expiration in 2016.
In 2019, when the Bail Bill was again being debated, then Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith highlighted the critical nature of the bill stating, “the Bail (Amendment) Bill will be one of the most critical tools to reduce crime.”
He pleaded with the UNC opposition to support the extension of this Bill which would keep perpetrators of serious offences in jail for a longer period of time and reduce the occurrence of repeat offenders utilizing the “revolving door” of the criminal justice system.
However, his former Cabinet colleagues did not heed his advice and withdrew support, allowing many potential reoffending criminals to walk free.
In 2016, then attorney general Faris Al Rawi warned that due to the failure of the bill, 1,300 prisoners were immediately eligible for bail.
The issue for bail for serious offences was hit a double blow in 2022 when again, the UNC opposition failed to support another bail bill and ironically, its former attorney general, Anand Ramlogan successfully achieved a landmark ruling at the Privy Council which granted bail for those accused of murder.
In 2021, the Prime Minister, Dr Rowley, commented on this matter before its judgement stating if successful, “this will result in the floodgates to crime and violence being thrown wide open.”
We only have to look at what has ensued since then, with countless examples of murder accused walking out on bail and reoffending. I ask myself, how many more criminals, between 2016 to present day could have been in jail without bail as opposed to reoffending and being back on the streets once again, terrorising citizens.
The floodgates of crime did open up post 2022 with a spiralling murder rate and frustrating examples of criminals walking free after being granted bail for serious offences such as murders, firearm offences, kidnapping and gang offences.
It is my hope that with the passage and proclamation of this law, which restricts bail for serious crimes, that these flood gates can begin to close and criminals
