Law-abiding citizens can now judge

THE EDITOR: Now that the debate on the Police Reform Bills has finally ended, the non-cooperation by the Opposition to have the Bills passed was predictable. The result could be a blessing in disguise on the part of the Government. Because law-abiding citizens can now see and judge for themselves. It is to the benefit of certain people in high places associated with the drug trade and those charged with corruption practices that the efficiency of the police service should remain in disarray. The denial of the law-abiding citizens of Trinidad and Tobago of effective laws for the improvement of the police service and the judicial system is unethical to say the least despite the flimsy reasons, to the contrary, given by the Opposition.

The Government is now faced with the task of finding ways and means to improve the efficiency of the police service. The Government will have to get the job done with the tools presently available. In our judicial system since independence, it is the rich who can flout the law by employing lawyers costing millions to find loopholes in the law together with applying delaying tactics. It is no wonder that criminals are having a field day in our society. There is no doubt that white-colour crime like corruption filter down to the bottom. And it is the people at the bottom that get caught in many cases while the people at the top are virtually immune from prosecution. This is the worrying situation at the present time that confronts us. Could it be that certain politicians have set out to impede legislation that could improve the police service as well as the judicial system so that lawyers could have a better chance of clearing those in high places charged with corruption and other offences?

DA  COSTA  MC  DONALD
Point Fortin