By Ebi Kesiena
The Liberian Senate is debating whether or not to make a law that will declare drugs abuses bailable or non-bailable. The current proposed law calls for people arrested with narcotics be arrested and be made to pay two times the cost of the drugs in their possession as a bail bond.
However, a new bill is still in committee room, but some senators believe the current law is weak and to make it stronger and enforceable, the crime thereof must be a non-bailable offense because people dealing in harmful substances are financially strong to pay fines or bail bonds.
In responses to the senators’ concerns, Grand Cape Mount County Senator Varney Sherman, who is the chairman on the Senate Judiciary committee, warned that any attempt to instill harsher or excessive punishment in the proposed law could violate the Liberian Constitution that speaks against harsh punishment.
“Make it bailable and violate our constitution? Our constitution says there should not be excessive punishment for a crime.”
The Senate Judiciary chairman also warned that to make such amendment, there is a need for referendum that will repeal excessive punishment from the constitution.
The senate is still debating amendment to the drugs law.
