The Editor, Sir:

The apparent lack of enforcement of our laws by the relevant authorities was emphasised when it was revealed recently that there is a law that prohibits the tinting of public passenger vehicles. The fact that the practice has been allowed to continue unfettered, until lately, solidifies the view that a number of the ills that exist in our society are a consequence of a lack of leadership and the deplorable state of our justice system and police force.

Similarly, there seems to be a vast number of laws that are in urgent need of amendment; especially in relation to the penalties applied for the breach of various offences under some of our laws that are wantonly flouted on a regular basis. There are some fines and sentences under our laws that seriously need to be increased.

There also seems to be quite a number of laws on the books that need to be repealed, as they have far outlived their usefulness and are just not suitable for the times in which we now live. Additionally, there are those acts that need to be amalgamated, as they seem to overlap in some way or the other, resulting in four different laws addressing the same issue.

The Government is currently engaged in the process of improving our justice system. The aim is to essentially make the system more efficient, accessible and accountable. While I applaud the Bruce Golding-led Government for this initiative, I sincerely hope that the reform of the justice system will also result in the modification of our various legislation - to include amendments of our laws and increased fines and penalties for breaches.

It is imperative also that we realise that a reform of the justice system will be null and void without a transformation of our police force - the arm of the state mandated to enforce the laws of the land.

I am, etc.,

A. Genius

aldrane.genius@gmail.com