Retaining the death penalty is more likely to present a negative image of Barbados to the British than its justice system, says high level British jurist Baroness Patricia Scotland.
“One of the things that perplexes people is the retention of the death penalty. For the last 30 years Barbados has been in the pole position,” the baroness said Monday when questioned about likely fallout for Barbados among the British, following recent criticisms levelled at the Royal Barbados Police Force by two British visitors raped here.
“Barbados has always presented as a country where fairness is of importance, the justice system is sound, there are good judges who are independent-minded, so there is a good impression,” Scotland said.
But she said there were concerns that Barbados remained one of only three Caribbean countries which retained the mandatory death penalty and she implored Government “to consider making good on the promise they made in 2009 in relation to implementing a change”.
Scotland is on a Caribbean crusade to abolish the death penalty, along with a former president of Switzerland, Madame Ruth Dreifuss.
