I must commend the Ministry of Legal Affairs for instituting a system of lay magistrates to deal with small offences. This new order of things would see simple matters being expedited, which in former times would have taken a long time to complete.
However, my real concern is the recent law involving a breathalyser test. A motorist suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol should be subjected to this test. I say ‘should be,’ because there is provision within the law where if someone refuses to undergo the medical screening, and the penalty for doing this is a mere thirty thousand dollars. Now I am not so sure that the punishment for someone refusing to undergo such a test fits the crime; the driver will easily pay the pittance of $30,000 and go on to commit the offence again, perhaps this time involving a vehicular homicide, the likes of which we daily experience on our roads.
I think a fine should act as a deterrent and not an incentive as it presently stands. An amount of $100,000 is a more realistic sum. I strongly suggest to law enforcement that drivers undergo tests for marijuana and cocaine use also.
Yours faithfully,
Neil Adams
