OPPOSITION SPOKESMAN on Justice, Delroy Chuck, says he is wary of suggestions that new plea-bargaining legislation before Parliament may be used by accused criminals to exchange lighter sentences for information against crime bosses.
Parliament's Joint Select Committee on The Criminal Justice (Plea Negotiations and Agreements) Act, 2005, is set to meet for the second time tomorrow to discuss the legislation aimed at assisting in the fight against organised crime.
During the committee's first meeting on May 18, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Kent Pantry suggested the legislation could be used to garner information, on the 'Mr. Bigs' of organised crime, from captured lower-order criminals seeking lighter sentences.
But Mr. Chuck, after earlier stating that the legislation did not appear contentious, questioned the DPP on where such a provision existed in the bill.
"You would be encouraging people to give evidence against a co-accused, and a man will lie and give false evidence," Mr. Chuck told The Gleaner yesterday.
Plea-bargaining allows the accused criminal to plead guilty to a lesser charge, than initially held on, and receive a lesser sentence. It does not automatically mean that the accused individual may provide evidence on other accused criminals in exchange for the lighter sentence. Yesterday Mr. Chuck said that if the legislation does indeed allow for the swapping of lighter sentences for information against others, the Opposition would want to see strict guidelines on the process.
The DPP is expected to respond to Mr. Chuck's concerns tomorrow.
PLEA-BARGAINING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Delroy Chuck (JLP)
Sen. Dorothy Lightbourne (JLP)
Dr. Peter Phillips (chairman)
Derrick Smith (JLP)
Dr. Morais Guy (PNP)
Sen. A.J. Nicholson (PNP)
Sen. Kern Spencer (PNP)
Clive Mullings (JLP)
Sen. Burchell Whiteman (PNP)
Sen. Keste Miller (PNP)
Sen. Anthony Johnson (JLP)
Sen. Arthur Williams (JLP)
John Junor (PNP)
Derrick Kellier (PNP)
Wykeham McNeill (PNP)
