Category Archives: Law

Crime in T&T, Culture, General T&T, Law, Parliament, People's Partnership, Politics, Security, Violence

Emergency Notes

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By Raffique Shah
September 11, 2011

Raffique ShahTHE best crime-fighting measures emerging from the Emergency thus far are the medium-term initiatives Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced when she wound up the motion that saw Parliament extend the State of Emergency for three months. The Selwyn Ryan committee that will look at curbing criminality, the case-flow-management team of attorneys, the proposed amnesty for minor offences and the possible release from prison of convicts who no longer pose a threat to society, if aggressively pursued, would yield more benefits to the society than the steep drop in crimes during the Emergency.
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Court, Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Media, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, Politics, Racism Watch, Security, Violence

Killers do not respect race

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Newsday
September 07, 2011

State of EmergencyNewsday today continues an edited version of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s contribution to the debate on the motion to extend the state of emergency for three months in Parliament on Sunday. The motion was passed with 29 Government MPs voting for the extension and with ten votes against by the Opposition MPs.
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Court, Crime in T&T, Culture, General T&T, India, Law, People's Partnership, Politics, Race and Identity, Racism Watch, Security, Violence

Jack Wept

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By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 06, 2011

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeAnd Jack wept just as Peter wept after he betrayed Christ. Brigadier John Sandy bemoaned: “We must recognize that it is people looking like me who are being murdered, mothers like my mother, God rest her soul, who are out there weeping more than any other race.” There is no doubt that Brigadier Sandy loves black women. He is married to an Indian woman.
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Complaints, Court, Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, People's Partnership, Police, Politics, Racism Watch, Security, Violence

Of Vulgar Politicians and Ethnic Bashing

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By Cecil Paul
September 04, 2011

State of Emergency“We must recognize that it is people looking like me, who are being murdered, mothers like my mother…weeping more than any other race”…”When we see the accused being led away, being led to court, it is people who look like me”…”When one looked at the prison population in 2011, 51% are Afro Trinidadians”. (Minister of National Security John Sandy)
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Court, Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Police, Politics, Racism Watch, Security, Violence

Fallouts from the Emergency

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By Raffique Shah
September 04, 2011

Raffique ShahNOT surprisingly, the Government has extended the State of Emergency (SoE), citing its “successes” thus far, and all but promising citizens a crime-free country by the time it is lifted. Although no one in Government made this commitment literally, daily, ministers and top officers of the national security agencies dazzle us with statistics that look impressive.
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Court, Crime in T&T, Drug Trade, General T&T, India, Law, People's Partnership, Police, Politics, Racism Watch, Security, Violence

Matters of Race in the State of Emergency

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By Christian Hume
September 01, 2011

State of EmergencyIt was most disconcerting to witness Minister of National Security John Sandy and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan trying to convince the nation that the gang leaders from East Port-of-Spain and the East-West Corridor are the “big fish” that the entire nation are waiting to see rounded up and tossed into jail. When the country’s top politicians decide to play blind, pretending not to see the reality that honest eyes among the population see all the time, then we know that times are stark and dark.
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Court, Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, Media, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Security, UNC, USA, Violence

SoE an important and courageous decision

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By Tony Fraser
August 31, 2011 – guardian.co.tt

State of EmergencyPrime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her Government took probably their most important and perhaps courageous decision of their 15 months in office with the declaration of the state of emergency. It is a decision full of potential for a major reduction in the criminal menace that has terrorised us all for over 15 years. Understandably, it is much too early to say definitively that the effects of the SoE would break the back of the criminal infrastructure (and that is what is going to ultimately matter) but the Government has shown itself prepared to allow the security forces to deal decisively with criminals. Lee Falk, the creator of the Phantom comic series, used to insert in sotto voce that “Phantom is rough with rough necks.” That seems to fit the need of the present; with the important caveat that it is done within the ambit of the law.
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Crime in T&T, General T&T, India, Law, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Police, Politics, Race and Identity, Racism Watch, Security, Violence

Rejecting the State of Emergency

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By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
August 30, 2011

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeIs either I stupidly or Anand and dem know many things I don’t know. But I didn’t know that one had to declare a state of emergency to capture some gang leaders and charge them with possession of marijuana or cocaine. I didn’t know that the only way to solve the crime problem was to declare a state of emergency and arrest about five hundred young people (call them gang members) from Black areas in order to solve the crime problem. If so, the PNM was more than stupid to hold its hands until the PP discovered that it takes a state of emergency to capture all these black people so easily.
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Court, General T&T, Law, People's Partnership, Police, Politics, Security, Tobago, Violence

Teen apologises on Facebook for Kamla threat

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State of EmergencyMinor Violator
“I could not sleep last night. I just want to say I am sorry to the Prime Minister (Kamla Persad-Bissessar) for insulting her like that. I am sorry for the language, I am sorry for all the racist stuff I said. I do not really care about racist things because I am not racist, I do not really look at it like that but I am just real sorry.”
The above apology was made and posted on Facebook by a teenager, who is the subject of a police investigation in relation to a previous video she had created.
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Court, Crime in T&T, Drug Trade, General T&T, Law, Money Laundering, People's Partnership, Politics, Security, Violence

State of Confusion

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By Raffique Shah
August 27, 2011

Raffique Shah“GUILTY as charged, sah!” I declare before the court of public opinion. I hasten to add, as most felons do, “But I need to explain, boss.” Yes, I was foremost among persons who felt that serious crimes had long passed the point of tolerance, that law-abiding citizens were living in a state of siege, and if a state of emergency was required to restore some semblance of order in the society, then bring it on.
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