Cabinet to review bill to remove jail time for small quantities of “ganja”

Cabinet to review bill to remove jail time for small quantities of “ganja” – AG

Nov 25, 2020 News

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall.

Kaieteur News – The Cabinet is expected to review a draft bill, which seeks to remove custodial sentences for persons caught with small quantities of ‘ganja.’ This is according to Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall.
A custodial sentence is a judicial sentence, which suspends someone’s liberty and entails spending time in prison.
Custodial sentences are usually handed down after someone is found guilty for serious offences.
Kaieteur News had reported that the General Secretary of the Guyana Rastafarian Council, Khafra Messdjehuti, had called on the previous government to decriminalize the use of small quantities of marijuana.
On Monday, during a press briefing which was held at the Umana Yana in Kingston, Georgetown, Minister Nandlall revealed that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), is committed to remove custodial sentences for small quantities of marijuana and that the Cabinet is now deliberating on the quantity of marijuana that will attract sentencing.

The Cabinet is expected to review a draft bill, which seeks to remove custodial sentences for persons caught with small quantities of ‘ganja.’

According to the Attorney General, the Cabinet will be guided by statistics and is seeking guidance from similar legislative measures already implemented in the Caribbean.
“I would not want to pre-empt Cabinet’s deliberation, but all these factors are currently being taken into account,” the Minister stated.
The Minister stated that it is the government’s view to move custodial sentences to reduce the prison population.
The Minister stated that he has already consulted the Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, for information on the number of inmates incarcerated for possession of marijuana.
The information has since been passed to Cabinet and it is under review.
Nandlall explained: “It does not mean that it will not constitute an offence; it will still remain a criminal offence but it will not carry custodial sentence as a penalty and that is what I understand we promised in our manifesto.”