So said top lawyer Mr. Richard Hector in a speech to the Hamilton Lions Club's weekly luncheon at the Hamilton Princess.

Mr. Hector told the club the 1992 Tumim Report had exposed several flaws in the system, such as shedding light on security problems at Casemates Prison, but did not adequately address the criminal justice system.

The report's main thrust, he said, was aimed at reducing Bermuda's prison population, which was among the highest per capita in the world.

Mr. Hector also said there was a need to safeguard against improper behaviour by Police, both on the streets and in the station.

He said: "I am not saying all Police officers are bad, but there is a need to help keep them in line.'' He noted that for years he had complained about officers' `heavy hand,' but he had been dismissed as `talking through my hat.' To address this problem, Mr. Hector recommended Police make greater use of video and tape to record interrogations accurately, and adopt rules similar to legislation governing Police activities in the United Kingdom.

He also believed it was in Bermuda's best interest to form a criminal justice committee.

Recording equipment, he said, would cut down on the length of court cases, even eliminating the need for many because, "properly recorded confessions would do away with the need for a trial.'' Mr. Hector also pushed for the court system to adopt a proper recording system. He said: "Judges have to write down every word in longhand, and this is an archaic system. It is too time-consuming to have to write every word down (that is uttered). We are living in the dark ages.'' In closing Mr. Hector said rehabilitation of offenders needed to be looked at and overhauled. "We should help our young people. We need to realise that of all the criminals in our society, a great many of them may be products of our society.''