Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan addressed the topic of the death penalty during an appearance on the Browne and Browne show over the weekend.
He discussed key legal precedents, including the Pratt and Morgan case, in which the Privy Council ruled that it was unconstitutional to execute a prisoner who had been on death row for more than five years without the sentence being carried out.
Astaphan clarified that the only instance where the death penalty itself was declared unconstitutional was in the Peter Hughes case, which challenged the constitutionality of the mandatory death sentence.
Representing the Attorneys General of the OECS in a related matter in St. Vincent, he noted that the Court of Appeal ruled—by majority—that the mandatory death sentence was unconstitutional.
However, the court upheld the validity of a discretionary death sentence in extreme cases. The Privy Council later affirmed this decision.
He emphasized that while the mandatory imposition of the death penalty is no longer permissible, judges in criminal courts still have the discretion to impose the death sentence in cases where it may be deemed justified.
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Smh it’s a long wait tho but if you all gonna hand down death penalty then do it
What happened to cutie Benjamin, isn’t he the government lawyer, this just another example how the have no respect for the fat fuck
In circumstantial circumstances. . If the evidence so far proves that this child was abducted with the intention to kill her? Premeditated!!!!! The brutality in which she was killed and her age should be taken into account. This therefore warrants the death penalty.
Anthony Astaphan is the representative for Antigua and Barbuda among other Caribbean countries as it pertains to constitutional law. It is in the governments best interest to take counsel from him. The death penalty cannot be decided by the people. We’re still under the crown.
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Let them appeal to the highest Court. Yes it’s known of the poor job which police investigators did in the past as they past the perps off to the DPP for prosecution and the technicalities which lawyers and liars will use to get them off. We don’t care how long is the appeal process.
BRUK DEM NECK. SHOOT DEM WID FIRING SQUAD! TAP DEM HEART WID CHEMICAL INJECTIONS. KILL DEM WICKED RASS!
I wonder what the bill looks like for this assignment. He seems to be the Commissioner of Police, The Chief Justice and the Attorney General. The Antiguan lawyers should feel slighted everytime.
@Rovi. That is because most of our lawyers are lazy. And there is no money in criminal law. People who face criminal charges are usually people who cannot afford to pay. When the Bar Association paid tribute to one of our great criminal lawyers, the late John Fuller, President of the Bar at the time, Lenworth Johnson, bemoaned the fact that he could count on one hand, the number of criminal lawyers in Antigua. Our lawyers prefer corporate law and bill of sale law where they make quick money. A law degree ia useless as the law is based on research and precedent and of course doing cases and gaining experience.
Astaphan not going control the narrative here in favor of ALP and the Spanish community, we the Antiguan and Barbudans of first and second generation want justice, always is that the Antiguan and Barbudans who shed blood for here is infantilized.
@Elread, the government is elected to represent the people’s interest which includes being the protector and of our people.
A foreign national has killed an Antiguan national on our shores and the people of Antigua and Barbuda are demanding that the murder should faced the death sentence. It would be wholly wrong that the murder should be kept in prison at the expense of Antigua’s tax payers.
In addition, the government should emulate the late president of Uganda idi Amien an ordered all Haitians, Santa Domingans, Nigerians and Jamacians to leave our shores. They should be given 24 hours to leave. Ever since these categories of people have come to Antigua, our children have been going missing, body parts have been harvested.
Yet again, this administration has failed in its duties to protect Antigua and Barbuda’s nationals. It is my prayers that the government will do the right thing and ensure that Chantel murder is sentenced to death, thereafter, order these nationals out of Antigua and stopped future migrants from entering our shores.
Antiguans are urged to stop renting to those individuals and stop employing them.
Trump has set a precedent by deporting undesirables from the US and if the US can do it so should we.
No doubt, the PM will provide an excuse to justify his administration’s failure to heed to the voices of the electorates.
What’s the motive for the killing of Chantel ?
People need to know.
Are you insinuating that the lady should be deemed guilty without due process? If you think that these persons are here for the sole purpose of making mischief and are responsible for the crimes in the country, then let us know what percentage of the prison population they are. Are they aligned with our government to disenfranchise us? Where are they grabbing up the beachfront lands? Are they responsible for the government imposing taxes on us because it doesn’t want to shake the apple cart? If I saw a Jamaican or Haitian walking up the street, I would never know his nationality unless he spoke. We are all being ridiculed by the persons that you have called out because they see us as one and the same.
I strongly disagree with the death penalty of the young lady angella Maja, and those of you wishing for this… it will never happen. While the evidence is present, we have had much more heinous crimes in antigua, and these criminals were given light sentences.
Angella was instructed by another individual to pick up the child, which she did out of fear. She doesn’t have a driver’s license or owns a vehicle, which concludes the abduction was forced and not premeditated.
The doctor is responsible for the killing of the child, cutting out the eyes etc, storage, and transportation to the buyer. It’s very technical to cut organs without damaging it and demands a professional for this job.
Angella was charged for murder as a cover up, so that others involved would not be mentioned to the public. Angella CANNOT perform these actions by herself which is why ill be representing her in court.
The police officer who got shot by the inspector was part of the team but could no longer keep silent as the cries for Chantal increased. Had she been alive today, a lot of people in high places would’ve been charged.
Antigua and Barbuda, the real criminals are still on the loose, sentencing Angella will not stop them. She was used by these people and set up as a bait. It could’ve been any other young lady
She’s not a foreign national. Is not right in Antigua she’s born?
Fat Boy Cutie Benjamin not brilliant enough to tell us that? It had to take Astaphan all the way from Dominica, then Cutie is more useless than I thought, he needs to exit the scene
This circumstance warrants consideration for the death penalty and I’m hoping it is requested because this was just inhumane
There must be situations where the death penalty can be applied..this is one such time
Shake her now until she gives up the names of all involved then execute all of them.
Life. For. Life! Simple! We don’t want to pay no taxes to benefit her living
But then how is the case gonna be solved? How will Chantel Crumo actually get Justice? It is clear that Angela is taking the rap for this henious crime. She is involved yes but she was not alone. They found her deep a bush. You telling me a 20 year old going deep a bush alone??? What is her reason for killing her? Uh?