JAMAICA: LAW MAKERS TO HAVE CONSCIENCE VOTE ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

thirty years after the historic conscience debate on the controversial issue of hanging raged in the Parliamentary arena, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration promised to place the issue squarely on the public agenda and initiate another conscience vote. In 1978, legislators were first asked to brush party loyalties aside to debate the death penalty. It was in 1988 that the last convicted felon went to the gallows. State Minister in the National Security Ministry Senator Arthur Williams visited the gallows at the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre. Afterwards he announced that a conscience vote was on the Parliamentary agenda. Meanwhile, Head of the Correctional Services Department Major Richard Reese told RJR News the gallows will be ready if required.