Former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj said it is up to the government to have the will power to reinstate the death penalty.
His comments came yesterday in a telephone interview on the Morning Brew where he responded to the Prime Minister's comments on the matter during his 90-minute interview on Sunday.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley indicated there have been several challenges to reinstate capital punishment even though it's being called for by the public to treat with a seemingly out of control crime wave.
Dr Rowley explained that the issues they are encountering stemmed from a difference in cultures in the administering of justice. He said there is a clash between Trinbagonian culture which is calling for the penalty and the British culture which is against it.
The country's highest court of appeal is the Privy Council which is located in England.
He also said that within the cultural hurdle are those who delaying its reinstatement.
Maharaj was enlisted to advise the current administration on reinstating the penalty early in its tenure. Maharaj said he put Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi in contact with experts, both foreign and local. He said he even put him in contact with those who assisted him with the penalty in the country. However, Maharaj said he has done all that he can and now it's up to the government to do its part.
"That was the most I could've done. But I am of the firm belief that the death penalty can be implemented in Trinidad and Tobago. But it needs the will power, it needs a passion and it needs hard work in order to do it," Maharaj said.
He declined to comment on if he believed government lacked the will power stating he would leave that judgment up to the public.