conscription which he has branded "inhumane''.

Darcy Lord says he is willing to help pay for a top QC to fight it all the way to the Privy Council.

He said: "I would have thought our overworked and underpaid Magistrates have enough on their plates in having to deal with traffic offenders and delinquent debtors.

"Now the powers that be want them to deal with hundreds of Bermuda Regiment deserters.

"It is painfully obvious that a large number of young men have no desire to be part of the Bermuda Regiment.'' Mr. Lord said reports that extra staff had to be taken on to track down 1,000 conscripts who have failed to show up for training proved the system had no support.

"In this day and age for Bermuda to hunt down these young men and drag them kicking and screaming before the courts is inhumane.

"If there was a reason for conscription in the first place it has long ceased to be relevant.

"As far as I am aware Bermuda has never been invaded by another country since its discovery and, in any event, the Bermuda Regiment is unlikely to make any difference if an invasion did occur.

"I am not one to advocate lawlessness but this is a case for civil disobedience.

"Those dozens of summonses predicted by Larry Burchall which will be issued each week should be ignored by each so-called deserter until the only option left to the Regiment is to have Police physically arrest every individual who has failed to turn up for training. "The next step should be a challenge to the courts under the Bermuda Constitution.

"I am prepared to make a sizable donation to enlist the services of a leading Constitutional Queen's Counsel to take the matter to the Privy Council if necessary.

"Conscription has no place in Bermuda. Larry Burchall and the officer corp may enjoy what they do, but that in itself is not a reason for making criminals out of young men who are not of the same genre.

"I have no doubt the role of the Bermuda Regiment can be satisfied by a volunteer force.

"Also courts could be empowered to offer offenders service in the Regiment as an alternative to imprisonment.

"When up to 40 percent of the annual intake fail to show up for service it should be obvious that there is a serious problem with the notion of conscription.

"Why take on bounty hunters to seek and harass these young men when there is an available option?'' Mr. Lord also brought up the issue of females being exempt from conscription.

Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Paula Cox said there was no chance of conscription being ended though she said the current three-year term could be reduced.

Ms Cox was asked why Bermuda's females were left alone while the men had to face conscription.

She said: "That's how it has been for some while.'' She said a regimental review was being done with the aim of making it more effective and relevant to modern world. The Royal Gazette asked Ms Cox why Bermuda still had conscription when most democratic countries had abandoned it.

She said: "Because people aren't wanting to become volunteers and it is still pertinent to have a security force.'' And she said the Bermuda regiment was still needed.

Defence Department Administrator Larry Burchall pointed out representatives from both main parties had supported having the Regiment at the recent Regimental Review Board.

Human Rights Commission Executive Officer Neville Darrell said: "I think more than anything else, until such time as the practice of conscription changes, that's the rule of law.

"There is no evidence such as we are aware that it is oppressive. It may be people feel that way. It might seem an imposition.

"If we can say that imposition is overwhelmingly negative and takes value away from people's lives it could be time to overturn this.'' But he added: "Even since this most recent round up of missing recruits no one has said this is manifestly unlawful or goes against human rights.'' And he was unaware of any complaints since joining the organisation in May this year.