Jamaica Bar Association meets

The Jamaican Bar Association will be meeting later today to examine several issues surrounding the retention of the death penalty.



Parliamentarians are this afternoon expected to vote on whether to retain the death penalty for capital offences.



The exercise was postponed last week, to allow legislators more time to formulate their positions on the matter.



If Parliamentarians remain true to their stated intentions in the two-week debate, it is likely that the punishment will be retained on the law books.



The council of the bar association said it has noted that the discussions in Parliament have now extended beyond the question of the resumption of hanging to several other constitutional issues.



It said some of the discussions have centered on what is considered as cruel and inhumane treatment, which is prohibited by the constitution.



According to the association, this matter has already been decided by the country’s highest court and the proposal from some parliamentarians seems to involve reversal of these decisions.



Several members of parliament have suggested other means of punishment including lethal injection and the electric chair.



However, the bar association is insisting that some of the measures suggested would take away certain constitutional protections.