State owes Sheldon Roberts

THE EDITOR: I awoke on Independence Day to read the following newspaper headline “Sheldon Roberts, who served three years on a two year sentence, was pardoned by President Max Richards on Thursday.” Now read that again before I continue.

I am amazed that the President had to be involved in what is clearly a State blunder and a travesty of law. I am also amazed that Sheldon Roberts has to be pardoned at all — I mean pardoned for what? The conscience and soul of the State should be automatically activated to seek out why such a thing could have happened. Who is the individual responsible for this injustice? And how many more are there like Sheldon Roberts who are being persecuted because they are of the wrong class and colour (such things happen to poor black people for reasons other than simple statistics). The State owes Sheldon Roberts because it kept him incarcerated for longer than it should, because it took too long to free him even when the injustice was discovered and because when it did free him, it did so for the wrong reasons and in the wrong manner.

The only possible pardon due is from Sheldon Roberts to the State and only after the latter apologises for the injustice and offers satisfactory compensation. The Law usually demands its pound of flesh — often unreasonably so. It should therefore be made to pay in full when it is in breach and should do so with humility and without subjecting its victim to further expense, harassment and distress. Would this be another case in which justice has to be sought at the level of the Privy Council? What is going to happen when the Privy Council is no longer around to ensure such justice and fair play for those without the means to buy it? Need I state for whom this bell tolls?

EUGENE  A  REYNALD
Port-of-Spain