'Human rights convention does not prevent death penalty'
Executive secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Dr Santiago Canton, says Jamaica ratified the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights on July 19, 1978.
The convention does not prohibit the death penalty in Jamaica.
"It's a convention that prohibits those countries that did not have the death penalty at the time of ratification of the convention to put it in place. But those countries that at the time of ratification of the convention already had the death penalty, the Inter-American convention on human rights doesn't prohibit that," he said in an interview with The Gleaner. Canton will travel to Jamaica on December 1.
'We should have a referendum'
I have been wondering if Jamaica is still a democracy because the overwhelming majority of Jamaicans seem to be in favour of the resumption of hanging, but the powers that be seem to just ignore the majority. I believe that, if necessary, we should have the people weigh in on the matter through a referendum. I am very certain that the Government will find that a huge majority of Jamaicans believe that the time is right to resume hanging.
Some may feel that capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime but, guess what? A majority of Jamaicans want it resumed, not just on the books. Having it on the books is very different from enforcing it and that is what we need. A very swift move to resume hanging.
That is my humble input.
Concerned Jamaican
'I am a prisoner in my own home'
In respect to the featured article (on A1 yesterday), I am in total support of Edward Seaga's views on hanging criminals and hanging them high. I am a mother of a 10-year-old girl and a returnee to Jamaica and I am gobsmacked at the level of heinous crimes being committed. I am a prisoner in my own home. We don't go anywhere but school and home.
People can't live like this. Hang them.
Ava Brown
'We need to take a stand'
I truly believe we should resort to the death penalty. It should be the ultimate punishment for those murderers who have been committing these heinous crimes against our people. They have no regard for human life and I don't see why taxpayers should foot the bill in feeding them in prison for the rest of their lives ...
We need to take a stand. Put terror in their hearts for a change. I hope when those heads of Government meet they will all be on one accord for hanging. If they care anything about their people, they will.
Angela Sharpe
