By: Candia Dames


Prime Minister Perry Christie’s recent statement in support of the death penalty has renewed debate on capital punishment, but a Bahama Journal study shows that many of the men on death row at Her Majesty’s Prison will never hang because they have been under the sentence of death for more than five years.

In fact, a half of the nearly 30 men on death row have been there longer than that period. The Privy Council has established that it would be cruel and inhumane to execute anyone who has been under the sentence of death for five years or more.

But while the families of these men have reportedly been pushing for their sentences to be commuted, the government has made no announcements in that regard.

Last Thursday, the prime minister made it clear that he fully supports hangings.

That comment drew reactions during the Free National Movement rally in Salt Pond, Long Island a day later with FNM Leader Hubert Ingraham accusing him of jumping on "the hanging bandwagon."

"The hanging bandwagon is rolling and Mr. Christie just wants to get onboard," Mr. Ingraham said.

"He knows he is in trouble so he will jump on any bandwagon he thinks will get him some votes."

Speaking at the funeral of slain prison officer, Dion Bowles, Prime Minister Christie said he was in favour of capital punishment and he said he would be willing to fight those who oppose it.

"I am not in agreement with those who say capital punishment should not be in place," said Mr. Christie at the service at the Church of God Auditorium on Joe Farrington Road. "I am personally for capital punishment."

He added, "Prime ministers don’t go around saying things like that, but I want to tell you all that and plenty people do not agree. That is what I believe and as long as I’m prime minister the brothers and sisters who don’t believe it I will fight with them."

At the FNM rally, Mr. Ingraham told the crowd, "Don’t wait for them to hang anybody. This is a shameless case of mouthing what some people want to hear – pure pandering, nothing more."

It was also a point former party chairman, Carl Bethel, made when he addressed the crowd.

He said Prime Minister Christie’s statement was another sign that the PLP government is a "fell good, flim flam" government.

"It seems that they will say anything just to make you feel good for just that moment in time," Mr. Bethel said. "While crime is almost out of control in Nassau and the government seems powerless to stem the tide, all they do is make pretty speeches."

He said that in PLP Cabinet, there are at least three cabinet ministers who are abolitionists, and who are opposed to capital punishment.

"The Attorney General Alfred Sears, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell, have in the past expressed opposition to the death penalty, and the last time that anyone was hanged in The Bahamas, the Minister of Transport, Glenys Hanna-Martin, was leading the demonstration against the carrying out of the law, at the barricades, outside Fox Hill Prison," Mr. Bethel said.

"So if the prime minister wants to fight someone over capital punishment, he needs to start with is own cabinet, but the man was only flamming the people, saying what he felt that people wanted to hear, on the spur of the moment because he wanted to make you feel good."

Mr. Bethel said that if the prime minister wants capital punishment he would have to bring some laws to parliament and to do that he would need the support of his cabinet.

"He is not likely to get their undivided support and at the end of the day the PLP will continue to do what they always do: talk loud and do nothing," he said.

There hasn’t been a hanging in The Bahamas since David Mitchell met his fate at the gallows on January 6, 2000.

The Bahamas hanged 50 men since 1929, according to records kept at Her Majesty’s Prison. Five of them were hanged under the Ingraham administration; 13 were hanged under the 25-year rule of the Pindling government; and the remainder were executed between 1929 and 1967.

Attorney General Alfred Sears has explained that the question of the death penalty cannot be addressed in The Bahamas until the Privy Council in London announces a decision on an appeal filed by two men at Her Majesty’s Prison challenging the mandatory death sentence.

The Privy Council heard the case last month.

30 January 2006