by Global News Staff
ROSEAU, Dominica — A sitting judge and a former chief justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court have criticized the current drugs law in Dominica as “draconian”.
BBC Caribbean reported that Justice Bernie Stephenson-Brooks told a man convicted for possession of 12 grams of cocaine that he could be given a life sentence under the law.
A seasoned criminal with 47 previous convictions, the man was in the end fined US$38,000 and given a two-year jail term.
Retired Chief Justice Sir Brian Alleyne agrees that the law in question has aspects that are draconian.
Sir Brian says the authorities should find creative ways of tackling the country’s drug-fuelled crime problems, including medical treatment, instead of simply focusing on punitive measures.
