Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

No deterrence: Magistrate says new sentencing guidelines for drugs ‘won’t work for BVI’

No deterrence: Magistrate says new sentencing guidelines for drugs ‘won’t work for BVI’

A local magistrate has said she believes the list of umbrella sentencing guidelines recently launched for all courts in the Eastern Caribbean is not suitable for drug-related offences committed in the British Virgin Islands.

These sentencing guidelines were developed so judges in the region could have a standard way of determining the penalty that a convicted person should receive.

But local magistrate, Ayanna Baptiste-DaBreo, said she is concerned they will not deter drug offenders in the BVI. She said following the guidelines in every drug case would “create havoc” in the BVI.

“If I use those sentencing guidelines, I would be encouraging everybody to start selling drugs because there is no punishment, really. The truth is if I am someone out there selling drugs with these sentencing guidelines, the cost to me of selling it … the profits would exceed compliance,” the magistrate said.

“Where is the deterrence? Where would be the fair punishment? I will follow them (the sentencing guidelines) and I will say where I would depart from them in the sentencing,” she added.

“I have found that those sentencing guidelines does not work for me on the drug offences. [But], for the other offences, they are fine,” Magistrate DaBreo further said.


What the guidelines say for drug offences

According to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court’s website, the guidelines for drug-related offences covers drug trafficking, cultivation, and possession with an intent to supply, import or export — whether as conspiracy or a substantive offence. 

 Apart from the judge’s responsibility to weigh all the aggravating and mitigating factors in each case before handing down a sentence, the new guidelines also say the punishment should be determined based on quantity and what type of role the offender played in the crime.

The roles a convicted offender can be found to play in the drug crime has been classified into three levels — ‘leading’, ‘significant’ and a ‘lesser role’. 

The lead role

To be classified as having a lead role in the crime, an offender must be the commercial drug buyer and/or seller. He/she must also be found to have ‘substantial links’ to have an influence on others in a chain, has close links to the original source, has an expectation of significant financial gain, uses business as a cover, and abuses a position of trust.

The significant role

For persons classified as having a ‘significant role’, they must be found to operate or manage functions within the illegal operation. Those category of offenders must also have been found to involve others in the operation whether by pressure, influence, intimidation or reward — especially if those involved are children.

According to the new sentencing guidelines, sale of drugs to minors and persons in prison would also fall under that category.

The lesser role

As it relates to how a person is classified in the ‘lesser role’ category, the court is required to look at persons who perform a limited function under direction. They are also considered to have played a lesser role if they are involved by pressure, coercion, intimidation, involvement through youth, naivety, or exploitation.

The court must also classify them in the ‘lesser role’ category if there is no influence on the drug operation’s hierarchy, if they have very little or no awareness or understanding of the scale of operation, or if they are trafficking drugs solely for personal use (considering the reasonableness of account in all the circumstances).

Classifying an offender by weight of drugs

As it relates to the weight of the drugs, offenders are classified into numerical categories — ‘one’ being the highest and ‘four’ the lowest.

Category One offenders are persons who were caught with 20 kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 kilograms or more of cannabis.

Category Two offenders are those caught with five to 20 kilograms cocaine and 50 to 400 kilograms of cannabis.

Category Three has to do with offenders with 100 grams to five kilograms of cocaine and one to 50 kilograms of cannabis.

And to be classified as a Category Four offender, a person must be found to have 100 grams of cocaine or up to one kilogram of cannabis.

The new sentencing guidelines state that offenders who fall in the lesser categories — three and four — must only receive penalties that are fines and/or no custodial sentences.

These new guidelines were launched in September but went into effect on October 1 across the region.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
×