Magistrates and judges need more consistency with sentencing – PM

Magistrates and judges need to be more consistent in their sentencing says Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves.

“A magistrate or judge might say the Prime Minister is playing politics or this is just emotionalism on the part of people.

“Well you may dismiss it if you are a judge or a magistrate, but at least reflect on it and see whether there is some merit in what ordinary people are saying, because justice has to be inclusive,” the Prime Minister said while addressing the launch of the Police Records Management Information System (PRMIS) at the Questelles Police Station recently.

Gonsalves, also Minister of National Security, said some students from the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC) recently did a study on crime in East St George and Central Kingstown and part of the project involved the public’s view on sentencing.

He said the initiative made for interesting reading, and in the project, it was noted that a lot of persons had an issue with sentencing.

The Prime Minister however noted that some persons think that crime exists in the country because the magistrates and judges are soft on sentencing, but that is not the case.

“Their view is that, you commit a crime, you must get locked away for a long time, maybe for the maximum. Until of course [it] is their husband or their boyfriend or their son, then they say a different story. We can’t sentence people on the basis of emotion.

“There has to be a logic to it. Though I admit sentencing is a very difficult area and gives rise to great inconsistencies,” Gonsalves said.

“I want to ask the magistrates and I want to ask the judges to try to have greater consistency in sentencing,” he said, while adding that he knows that every crime is committed under a different set of circumstances and every criminal accused or defendant is a different person with a different history but sometimes the sentences are confusing.

“I see some sentencing and it is so widely varied that I don’t understand how some of them are delivered and I think I am speaking on behalf of people when I make this point,” the minister of national security said.

He added also that there is a gap between the magistrates and the high court judges.

“Magistrates have their noses closer to the grindstone than a number of High Court judges and the magistrate will deny bail and within a short time the High Court judge gives bail. Sometimes the High Court judge should be a little bit more careful.”

Gonsalves said he cannot interfere in the judiciary, but what he can do is speak and express the views of people.