(Trinidad Guardian) The Government is considering a proposal to abolish the use of juries for blood crimes, National Security Minister Jack Warner said in a statement in the House of Representatives yesterday. Warner’s statement followed a decision by Cabinet to table legislation in Parliament to give selected soldiers the legal authority to make arrests while working with police.
The measure is among the latest being implemented by the Government to deal with the escalating murder rate. There have been more than 80 murders for the first two months of the year. Speaking yesterday, Warner told the House: “The Attorney General has also proposed that we consider the abolition of jury trial for blood crimes or violent crimes. This will allow judges more time and result in a quicker trial time.”
He said the proposal was among others engaging the attention of Cabinet, adding that more details would be announced in due course. He said the time had come for a bipartisan attack on crime. “We should put T&T first,” Warner urged. Warner said the country “needs all hands on deck in this war against crime.” He said the criminal elements were “bent on terrorising our decent, hard-working, law-abiding citizens.”
But the Opposition raised immediate concerns about the proposal. Port-of-Spain South MP Marlene McDonald said she did not understand the logic behind the move. She said having a trial by jury was part of the country’s democratic principles. McDonald said: “We pride ourselves as being a democratic nation, having a free and fair judiciary. What do you think the international community will be saying about us when we remove jury trials for such crimes?”
McDonald asked if the measure would require a special majority vote in Parliament, as the jury system might be part of the Constitution. She said in principle, the PNM could not support such a bill. In response to a question, McDonald said when Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley said last Tuesday that his team was looking at supporting the Government in crime-fighting measures, he would not have known about this latest measure.
“We are all taken by surprise here,” she insisted. During his contribution, Warner also said precepted soldiers would not be able to arrest anyone on their own. He said while there were more than 7,000 officers, the service was never at full strength and precepting soldiers would solve the issue.
