Court of Appeal Judge Seymour Panton expressed concern...

Court of Appeal Judge Seymour Panton expressed concern over decisions handed down by the London-based Privy Council, saying that while the English Speaking Caribbean's highest court had served the region well in the past, in recent years it had not been consistent in its judgments. "There is no doubt that the Privy Council has served the region well. Notwithstanding that fact, in recent years, so far as capital punishment is concerned, the Privy Council, in my view, has appeared to be continually shifting the goalposts," Panton said. "I say this, not in criticism or condemnation but more to explain the fact that sometimes the impression is created that the Appeal Court in Jamaica has done something wrong in upholding convictions for this offence," he added.