SHOULD SOMEONE BE CHARGED

Cassius Stuart and his compatriot charged for defiling the mace of the House 8 January 2002

The late Eugene Dupuch Q C was the Minister of Welfare for the racist United Bahama Party government back on 27 April 1965 when Sir Lynden Pindling threw the mace out of the window, to protest the gerrymandering of the boundaries by the UBP. There was no prosecution.  When Fred Mitchell, then a reporter interviewed Mr. Dupuch about the reason there was no charge brought against Sir Lynden, Mr. Dupuch said that the Cabinet considered it a political act not a criminal one. Fast forward to the time when Cassius Stuart and his partner in crime tried to throw the mace out of the window and chained themselves to the railing in the House of Assembly.  They were charged by the FNM but when the PLP came to power they were released and set free.  Again the rationale was that what they did was a political act.  Not so this time.  The Leaders of the Free National Movement should all be charged with assault and damaging the property of the House and brought before the Courts.  In 1965 there was no law governing this.  There is now a law.  The law should take its course.