The Nassau Guardian
Senator alarmed at early granting of bail
Minister of State for National Security Keith Bell told the Senate yesterday that some accused criminals who were granted bail for serious crimes over the past three years were given bail as early as four months after being placed on remand.
Bell held up a list he said was 16 pages long with the names of people granted bail from 2010 to 2013.
He said after a glance through the document he came up with a list of at least 15 people who were released on bail within months of an arraignment.
Bell said the people were accused of crimes such as murder, burglary, armed robbery and other violent crimes.
“These are the persons who are being released, not in accordance with stated cases from the Privy Council,” he said.
“I want to make it very clear; yes, we accept the fact of the presumption of innocence, but at the same time if the law says two years then it ought to be two years to give the honorable attorney general, the prosecution [time] to deal with these cases.”
Bell was referring to the constitutional right defendants have to apply for bail if their cases are not heard within a reasonable time.
He said the judiciary must work alongside the government in dealing with the bail issue.
Bell also defended Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade and Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage from criticisms made by Bar Association President Elsworth Johnson.
On Sunday, Johnson told The Nassau Guardian that Greenslade and Nottage made “disingenuous statements” about bail.
Last week, Nottage and Greenslade renewed concerns about people accused of serious offenses being released pending trial.
Johnson noted that if prosecutors are dissatisfied with a bail ruling made by a judge, there is a right to appeal up to the Privy Council.
However, he added this right is rarely exercised.
“It’s disingenuous for the commissioner and the minister of national security to know the circumstances surrounding the grant of bail and then make public statements in a vacuum,” Johnson said.
“The commissioner and the minister of national security need to stop making these statements when they know full well they didn’t live up to their responsibility.”
Johnson said courts will not be bullied and they have the full support of the Bar while defending their jurisdiction.
However, Bell stressed that the government does not legislate in a vacuum. He added that all branches of government must do their part to ensure that law and order are upheld.
“So I call upon the honorable chief justice, I call upon the president of the Bar Association to understand, not misquote, but to understand that we have to work together,” he said.
Bell said the government respects the rights of victims, the rights of the accused and the right to rehabilitation.
“There has to come a point, Madame President, when we accept that there are some persons among us who simply cannot be rehabilitated,” he said.
“Each time we release somebody on bail, Madame President, we are talking the possibility of an innocent life being lost. It can be any of ours.”
Recently, Greenslade said the majority of the people monitored by ankle bracelets are on bail after being charged with serious crimes like murder, rape and armed robbery.
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