The Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT) has called for caution in advocating for more hangings as well as the removal of bail for certain charges, reminding citizens of their constitutional right to be ‘innocent until proven guilty’.

However, Police Commissioner Gary Griffith said in a statement last night that his views differ from theirs.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Association said all citizens have the right to fair trial and being ‘innocent until proven guilty’:

‘LATT also notes several calls for the revocation of the right to bail for certain offences especially in these times and agree that bail should be denied to anyone charged with any criminal offence who it is determined to be a danger to society and who are likely to re-offend while out on bail.’

‘The existing Bail Act already provides for the denial of bail in such circumstances. The call for the automatic denial of bail to someone charged with a specified offence, whether it be rape or kidnapping, comes at the expense of denying long-cherished constitutional rights, such as the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and effectively puts the decision whether someone should be deprived of his liberty for long periods of time solely in the hands of the police.’

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