Capital Punishment Views:
Bahama Journal Editorial -
Nassau, Bahamas:

All laws that are on the books in The Bahamas should be enforced. In this regard, no one in the Executive branch of government should stand in judgment of the independent role that judges are called on to play in societies such as ours.

The Judiciary is to be respected and its freedoms are to be safe-guarded and respected by all. This applies with some added force to people who are called to serve in other branches of government.

That point made, there are times in life when politicians can and should be forgiven for some of the words they utter.

By the same token, there are times in life when politicians should be taken to task for some of the words they let loose.

Today we take note of some words that were uttered by the Hon. Orville ‘Tommy’ Turnquest.

Some of those words had to do with some of his personal views concerning capital punishment, while others seemed to draw some distinction between his stated views and those of his predecessors, if only by implication and inference.

When the Minister of National Security says that the Ingraham government fully intends to carry out the law with respect to capital punishment, he seems to be on the borderline of suggesting that his views differ somehow from those of some other people now on the Opposition side of the House of Assembly.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Our recollection is to the effect that when pressed on the issue, practically everyone questioned indicated that so long as the law was on the books, the law should take its course.

This is precisely what has been happening, namely that the law has been taking its course, clarification of the law has been sought and law continues on its course in The Bahamas and around the world.

But as evident as this is to us, it is quite opaque to others who are convinced that some one must be killed if the law relating to capital punishment is to be said to be in force.

This is little more than warmed over nonsense parading as opinion.

As our elders used to advise, you should think before you speak.

In this regard, note well that parliamentarians are paid to talk about matters that matter to their constituents. Some of them are particularly good at what they do.

Some others are extraordinarily parsimonious, saying the minimum and then little else for the entirety of the time they spend in the assembly.

There is - yet again - the type who would wish to pontificate on every matter that comes within their portfolio, particularly if they happen to be in the Cabinet, thus your garden variety instant expert on this or that subject.

As we have reported, "with the homicide count for The Bahamas so far this year already exceeding last year’s figure for the same period, Minister of National Security and Immigration Tommy Turnquest has made it clear that the Ingraham government fully intends to carry out the law with respect to capital punishment."

We are fairly certain that this minister would be aware of the fact that "since the Privy Council ruled more than a year ago that the mandatory death penalty in The Bahamas was unconstitutional, the courts have been carrying out a review of the death sentences of nearly 30 men under the sentence of death at Her Majesty’s Prison."

This is all part of the operation of the laws that are on the books.

In context, then, this neatly explains why today we make some references to capital punishment, and to the fact that there are times in life when politicians might wish to be silent on this or that subject.

22 May 2007