Rowley: Striking down Bail Act for murderers not wise

THE Prime Minister is once again expressing concern about the attempts to amend the laws so murderers can be granted bail. He anticipates this will result in the floodgates to crime and violence being thrown wide open.

By the end of the year the court is expected to rule on a matter brought by former attorney general Anand Ramlogan for Section 5(1) of the Bail Act to be struck down in the matter of his client Akili Charles vs the Attorney General.

At a People’s National Movement (PNM) political meeting in La Horquetta on Saturday night, Dr Rowley said the Opposition has turned to the courts busy trying to get laws changed because of its ineffectiveness in the politics and elsewhere.

“They are all now quite busy before the Privy Council arguing that the savings law clauses in our law, meaning those laws we inherited at Independence by virtue of change of ownership of state where the Queen no longer owns us – those laws that were saved at Independence – are now to be dismissed.

“One of those laws is the death penalty, but there are many, many more. The same set of people are in the courts elsewhere, with no discussion in this country, arguing for bail for murderers.

“I want to ask the people of TT tonight – in this country, in this land of murder and mayhem where so many tens or possibly hundreds of witnesses are being killed, when you go and change the law now to make it a right that once you charged for murder you get bail to come out, how many witnesses you will get to come before the court after that?

Saying it is a priority for some, he questioned if the country needs more murderers on the streets.

“As if we don’t have enough. But the ones you identify and you charge will join you at Hott Shoppe to buy roti, now all ah we could be out on bail, and that is what they promising you.”