By Robert Andre Emmanuel
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has criticised the Bar Association for failing to assist the government in addressing rising crime, by blaming criminal defence attorneys for representing “repeat criminals”.
He also called the Bar Association “unfit for purpose”, adding that if he was an attorney “professional ethics could never override my conscience to force me to represent repeat criminal offenders who represent a threat to public safety and national security”.
The Prime Minister’s focus on repeat offenders comes amidst increased scrutiny on the government’s actions in tackling crime and the rate of recidivism. Browne recently claimed that more than 400 repeat criminals are currently roaming the nation’s streets “with impunity”, many of them on bail.
His Facebook post over the weekend garnered public attention with some persons noting that the legal system operates under a principle of innocence until proven guilty and that proper rehabilitation centres should be a priority in addressing the high recidivism rate.
On his Saturday radio show, the Prime Minister continued his attack on the judiciary and the Bar Association, stating “if the problem is with the Parliament, we’re going to Parliament to introduce stricter penalties, so we’re taking responsibility”.
“However, I made the point here that to effectively fight this escalating crime and violence, it requires a national response involving all stakeholders, including the church, the sporting organisations, the private sector, the Bar Association,” he argued.
Browne also announced that National Housing had been tasked with constructing a juvenile detention centre at Crabbs Peninsula.
The Prime Minister called on the Bar Association to work with the government to craft legislation to increase penalties for certain offences and tighten bail conditions, adding that the judiciary had undermined police efforts to address criminal activity by granting bail to alleged criminals.
“On many occasions, the police would have begged judges not to give bail to certain individuals who represent a threat to the society—you are talking about repeat offenders—and I don’t know what they’re thinking… is maybe [along the lines of] constitutional and human rights issues in terms of the condition of the prison and they continue to give them bail and, in some instances, give them relatively short sentences,” the Prime Minister argued.
Browne also said that defence lawyers have stymied the government’s attempts to deport individuals convicted of crimes, stating that they use the legal system to delay proceedings for their clients.
“What would have happened, they would have gotten their lawyers to make representation and just delay and undermine the process,” he said.
