Charter of Rights debate ends - Legislation to sit for three months before vote

THE HOUSE of Representatives on Tuesday closed the debate on the Charter of Rights, paving the way for a landmark vote on the proposed battery of constitutional amendments.

The bill passed committee stage with five amendments. It will now sit on the table of Parliament for three months before third reading, at which time Parliamentarians will vote on it.

Providing the bill receives two-thirds support in the House, it will be sent to the Senate for consideration and debate.

The Bill must be passed before Parliament is prorogued in March of next year, failing which, the process of amending the Constitution will have to be restarted.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding said the Charter does not represent perfection.

"There are some persons who feel, and some members of the House have reflected that opinion, that it needs to be stronger than we have made it," Golding said.

Additional rights

The prime minister acknow-ledged that there are several areas where people would want additional rights but he told Parliament that practicality should dictate the actions of legislators.

"There is no point in putting rights in that you will not have the capacity to guarantee," Golding said.

The Charter of Rights represents an attempt by Parliament to guarantee inalienable and justiciable rights to citizens. It has been on the political agenda since 1977 and is only now being debated in the House of Representatives.

The Opposition People's National Party (PNP) had threatened to block the Charter unless Government was willing to reconsider its stance on the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and a removal of the strictures relating to the Pratt and Morgan ruling.

The PNP had proceeded in the debate under the understanding that the governing JLP would reconsider removing the five-year strictures imposed by the Pratt and Morgan ruling for the carrying out of the death penalty.

CCJ appeal

The Opposition also asked Government to change its position and allow the CCJ to be the country's final court of appeal.

On Tuesday, Golding told Parliament that a committee was established in his party to consider the issues. He has promised to communicate the party's position on the two issues to Leader of the Opposition Portia Simpson Miller before the vote is taken on the Charter next February.

"We are running pretty close on time. We have to close the debate, we have to wait for three months before we vote on the bill and we have to get the bill as passed to the Senate in order that they can have their debate on it and pass it before the House is prorogued in March," Golding said.

Meanwhile no word on any new developments followinr Prime Minister Golding's statement on no to gay marriage, the smoke screen argument that was put forward just before President Obama signed the Hate Crimes Bill in the US, some say perfect timing by the PM to quash any comparisons to the debate in the US on rights for persons related to sexual orientation.

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(parts from the Gleaner)