Hibbert ... forced to withdraw a statement that legislators against the death penalty are legalising murder. - Norman Grindley/acting Photography editor

JUNIOR MINISTER with responsibility for water and housing, Joseph Hibbert, was ruled out of order yesterday by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Delroy Chuck, during a fiery debate on the retention of capital punishment in Jamaica.

The usually well-mannered Member of Parliament for East Rural St Andrew went on the offensive during the debate, saying his colleagues who planned to vote against the death penalty would be guilty of legalising murder.

His comment was received with thunderous applause from members on both sides of the political divide who support the death penalty.

Withdraw statement

But Member of Parliament for Eastern Hanover, D.K. Duncan, was incensed by the remark and rose on a point of order. He said Hibbert was out of order and should be made to withdraw the statement.

Chuck agreed with Duncan's point of order and instructed Hibbert to retract his controversial comment. Hibbert complied.

Earlier during the debate, Hibbert made a strong case for the retention of hanging, pointing to the many heinous crimes that have been committed against children and law-abiding Jamaicans.

Hibbert contended that the killing of children and innocent Jamaicans was symptomatic of crimes against "the Lord's anointed", adding that those convicted for these offences should pay with their own lives.

Four dissenting MPs made presentations signalling their intention to vote against capital punishment.

They were Everald Warmington, Dr Horace Chang, Phillip Paulwell and Peter Bunting.

Warmington, MP for St Catherine South Western, warned against retaining this law, arguing that no modern society should descend to the level of murderers and carry out what he described as the barbaric act of hanging convicted killers.

Attorney-at-law and MP for South West St Ann, Ernest Smith, said he would vote to keep capital punishment on the books.

A fallacy

Smith, who has practised criminal law for 35 years, said it was a fallacy to argue that the death penalty was not a deterrent to crime, describing those who held that view as theorists.

According to Smith, some of the toughest criminals in Jamaica cried for their mothers when they were accosted by the police.

MP for South Central Trelawny, Dr Patrick Harris, who called for the death penalty to be carried out, said hardened criminals who were incarcerated still remained key players in the criminal underworld.

He argued that these persons masterminded some of the most elaborate criminal networks while in prison.