A rare display of courage

The Editor, Sir:

The recent refusal of Minister of Justice Dorothy Lightbourne to order the extradition of Pressley Bingham is a display of courage not seen often enough when Government officials have to deal with the United States of America.

To begin with, Section 7 (5) of the Extradition Act gives the minister the discretion to refuse to extradite a fugitive on the grounds that that fugitive is a citizen of Jamaica. Very rarely is that discretion utilised. I congratulate the minister for putting the interest of the Jamaican citizen above that of the requesting state.

On the matter of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, what I was initially prepared to characterise as careful deliberation has now transformed itself to dithering. If, after all this time the attorney general continues to harbour doubt and has misgivings about the USA's request for Coke's extradition, it seems to me that she ought to now bring the Chinese water torture to an end, and just say no.

I am, etc.,

PATRICK D. BAILEY

Kingston