Lashley wants Justice for Poor
A QUALITY BUILDING does not guarantee quality justice, says Independent Member of Parliament Hamilton Lashley.
Speaking yesterday during debate in the House of Assembly on a $10 million resolution to furnish the Halls of Justice building on Whitepark Road, The City, Lashley said this magnificent building should also reflect the quality of justice in this country.
He said in most cases, poor people got a bad deal in the justice system, with many accused and eventually convicted persons claiming to have been beaten by the police and forced to sign confession statements.
“When all the legal luminaries traverse these halls of justice, can I be guaranteed that poor people will get justice,” asked the St Michael South East representative who is known for his social work among the poor and marginalised.
Noting that “too many unfair cases were evident before the law courts”, he called the I’Akobi Maloney matter a “comedy of errors”, and commended the Attorney-General for making a good case for an independent enquiry.
Lashley also asked, against the background of the new judicial centre, whether ordinary people or Rastas walking along Broad Street or secluded areas at night, wouldn’t still be stopped and profiled by police officers; since “once you’re wearing locks, you’re seen as guilty until proven innocent”.
He also expressed the hope that when the Whitepark building was finished, prisoners could be brought there from Dodds to meet with their attorneys instead of lawyers having to go to the prison and wait for prolonged periods to see their clients.
He also made the call for more effective community policing, particularly in close-knit housing areas, since a better relationship between the police and residents could go a long way towards lowering crime statistics.
Lashley also called for the removal of titles like “royal” from the Police Force and “Her Majesty” from the prison, urging Barbadians to “shake off the shackles of colonialism and reflect who we are as an Independent nation”.
Turning to the topic of street vendors, Lashley said Barbados was “the only country in the world that encloses its vendors, while in major cities like New York and London vending is an outdoor exercise”.
He reiterated that not only must Barbadians appeal strongly for the deciminalisation of street vending, but that no-one making an honest living should be subjected to arrest and prosecution. (RJ)
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