Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre rejects the thinking that St. Lucia is a lawless country and in a state of anarchy. The prime minister was visibly animated when addressing members of the local press, on Monday, who fielded questions concerning the government and the justice system as it relates to crime locally.
The prime minister had, like the ministers who spoke before him, extended condolences to the families of deceased females, who met their demise in recent weeks. The prime minister insisted that the perpetrators of these crimes were few in number and described them as “vagabonds” who seemed determined to sully the country’s good name. He called on all in the society, the political opposition, to join the government on its zero-tolerance position on crime, a stance that would only benefit the nation as a whole. He warned that moves for cheap political gains may have immediate benefit but would be ultimately detrimental to the country.
Addressing questions concerning the government’s efforts to curb crime, He listed a number of initiatives that was designed to aid the justice system, including 4 virtual courts being established, the recently opened Backlog Court, the Domestic Violence Bill, the construction of the Halls of Justice and an increasing number of police officers. P M Pierre reiterated his stance that the government’s job was to provide the resources and the legal platform from which the justice system must operate. He pushed back against the notion that his government could and should direct the judiciary, citing the existence of a clearly defined framework that speaks to the separation of powers.
On the issue of the proposed commission of inquiry surrounding the Joy St. Omer brutal murder, the prime minister explained that cabinet had not yet taken a decision on the matter as the government is awaiting a legal opinion on whether such an action would jeopardize the investigation particularly since someone has been charged by the police. A recent statement from the leader of the opposition made the point that a commission of inquiry was set up for the recent deadly boat collision on the islands west coast but not for the Joy St. Omer case. The prime minister clarified that in the case of the boat accident, no one had been charged with murder.
Concerning questions about harsher punishment to serve as a deterrent to violent crimes, Philip Pierre reminded that the death penalty was never repealed and still existed on the islands books.