Sturge: Pre-Trial Procedure Bill a law for the rich

Listing the names of wealthy people who were accused of crimes but were subsequently determined to be innocent, Sturge claimed, “This is his ticket out.” Describing Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi as “Ramesh Al-Rawi”, Sturge also claimed the bill would not allow for the time frame set out in the Pratt and Morgan judgement of the Privy Council to be met, so that the death penalty could not be implemented. Claiming that Al-Rawi’s predecessor, John Jeremie, brought similar suites of legislation in 2005 and 2007 which worsened the criminal justice system, Sturge predicted, “Every bill brought by this AG will fail.” Sturge reiterated the Opposition’s claim that trial by jury is a constitutional right and the Judiciary should not advise any government about what legislation to put in place. Asking how the criminal justice system would operate if lawyers did not want to practice this type of law because of the risks they face, Sturge claimed that no lawyer wanted to do the Vindra Naipaul- Coolman murder trial.

Government senators Foster Cummings and Daniel Dookie dismissed this claim. “This bill does not trample on the rights of the accused,” Cummings declared.

Dookie said the Opposition did not want to cooperate with the Government in dealing with the country’s crime problem.

Independent Senator Melissa Ramkissoon said she supported the idea of trial by judge alone but could not support the bill in its present form. Ramkissoon wondered if it made sense to free ten guilty men but convict one innocent man.

Opposition Senator Rodger Samuel argued that the trial of Jesus Christ by Pontius Pilate was a classic example of “trial by bench” and not by jury.