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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Legislation tabled in ...g (Gleaner)...</span>
Legislation has been tabled in the House of Representatives which is intended to make it less difficult for Jamaica to hang condemned persons.The bill was crafted in response to the landmark Pratt and Morgan ruling of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, which stated that, at the expiration of five years, it would be cruel and inhumane to execute a man sentenced to death.Following a conscience vote in the Parliament two years ago, in which members voted to retain the death penalty, the Government said it would craft legislation to get around the Pratt and Morgan ruling.In outlining the legislation, which seeks to amend Section 91 of the Constitution, Prime Minister Bruce Golding said it "allows the governor general to set a time limit that must not be less than 18 months, during which a person sentenced to die must commence his petition to entities beyond the strict judicial system".Said Golding: "If he says that you have 18 months to get a decision from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and, let us say, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights were to take three years, it doesn't mean that while the matter is before them you can hang the man."He added: "But what it means is that any period beyond 18 months that the matter is before the commission would not be taken into account in determining whether the man has been on death row for an extraordinarily long time."There are currently six Jamaicans on death row.
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Legislation tabled in ...g (Gleaner)...</span>
Legislation has been tabled in the House of Representatives which is intended to make it less difficult for Jamaica to hang condemned persons.The bill was crafted in response to the landmark Pratt and Morgan ruling of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, which stated that, at the expiration of five years, it would be cruel and inhumane to execute a man sentenced to death.Following a conscience vote in the Parliament two years ago, in which members voted to retain the death penalty, the Government said it would craft legislation to get around the Pratt and Morgan ruling.In outlining the legislation, which seeks to amend Section 91 of the Constitution, Prime Minister Bruce Golding said it "allows the governor general to set a time limit that must not be less than 18 months, during which a person sentenced to die must commence his petition to entities beyond the strict judicial system".Said Golding: "If he says that you have 18 months to get a decision from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and, let us say, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights were to take three years, it doesn't mean that while the matter is before them you can hang the man."He added: "But what it means is that any period beyond 18 months that the matter is before the commission would not be taken into account in determining whether the man has been on death row for an extraordinarily long time."There are currently six Jamaicans on death row.