7 News Belize

Sentences Coming Down For Killers
posted (October 3, 2018)
Last night we told you about 60 year-old Nicolas Guevara, a convicted killer ordered to be released from prison after serving 26 years.

The Caribbean Court of Justice has set aside mandatory life sentences for murder, so the Supreme Court is now imposing fixed term sentences.

It's a progressive step - one that has seen hanging commuted to life in prison, and now life reduced to 25 years. We asked the Attorney General about how this squares with the public's desire for justice of the Old Testament variety:...

Jules Vasquez- Reporter
"There are those in the public who feel that we are moving further away from the ideal. You know, there is this sentiment in the public that they want punitive justice. They want people to be hanged and we are incrementally making steps further away, first the commuted death sentence to life sentences and now life sentences are being reduced to a maximum of 25 years. How do you view this as a man who is out there seeking votes, and I am sure you've heard it, that people want killers to hang; and instead killers are going free?"

Hon. Michael Peyrefitte- Attorney General
"People want everyone to hang except their own children. When people would say, 'hang them, not so my son, spare my son.' Listen, the law that we have is the law that we have and the powers given to the Chief Justice at this stage allowed him to do what he did. If a person is in prison for a certain length of time and the judicial bodies make a decision to release that person it must be with good reason. It is not that we don't have hanging on the books, it is still on the law- it is still there. So, we have it but the CCJ decisions have indicated to us that those are reserved for the worst of the worst considered murderers. We have not met that legal bar according to the CCJ to this point. But I am sure if we do then we will proceed with what the law says."

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