Lawyer Martin, a former magistrate and a human rights advocate, has condemned the use of shackles and handcuffs on accused persons, describing the act as outdated in the 21st century.
Martin, who was speaking to our reporter yesterday in an interview, said the act totally contravenes the constitution and all the international laws and conventions in relation to humanity.
According to the human rights advocate, an accused person is only someone who was alleged to have done something, and that he or she is innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law.
“It is sad that the accused persons who are brought to court less than 10 minutes from Mile 2 are shackled like slaves,” he stated.
He added that people who are only charged for an offence should be treated fairly and respectfully, as it is a fundamental principle of our criminal justice system.
For lawyer Martin, people could not understand how and why someone could be detained in prison for a considerable length of time without being brought before a court of law.
Martin also raised the issue of people who were acquitted and discharged by the court, but are still languishing at Mile 2.
He urged the legal authorities to do something about the situation of these detainees.
