PARLIAMENT CLOSES DEBATE ON CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOM

PARLIAMENT CLOSES DEBATE ON CHARTER
OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOM

Five amendments were made on November 17 by Parliament to the proposed Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedom as the House closed the debate.

The Bill will be on the table of the House three months before a vote is taken from parliamentary members.

"This can be described as surmounting a major hurdle" Prime Minister Bruce Golding said as he closed the debate. "The Charter of Rights does not reflect perfection. It represents the fundamental rights of an individual but collective rights have to be protected as well and we have to find a way to balance absoluteness of rights."

"The Charter of Rights by itself will not protect citizens but require institutional mechanisms" Mr. Golding added. He continued to say that some of these institutional mechanisms include the Office of the Special Coroner which was recently established and the Child Development Agency which protects the rights of children.

Mr. Golding said that much work has been done in relation to constitutional reform but other issues require added attention. Some of the issues he pointed to are establishing Jamaica as a republic with its independence from the British monarchy, entrenching of the Office of the Contractor General and the Electoral Commission.

Yesterday's sitting saw Prime Minister Golding, Minister of Education, Andrew Holness, Member of Parliament (MP), Clive Mullings, and MP Anthony Hylton making their contribution to the debate.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said that a committee was appointed to review Jamaica's position in relation to the Caribbean Court of Justice. He added that the team has completed its deliberations and a report is being prepared which he hopes to receive shortly.