Crime fighting bills could derail process
Stabroek News
September 24, 2002
The PNCR said yesterday that the four anti-crime bills presented in Parliament last week could undermine and possibly derail the joint consultation process currently being undertaken by the Social Partners group.
As a result, the party said in a press release issued yesterday, it had contacted the Social Partners yesterday and brought this to their attention.
In an invited comment last night, Peter De Groot, Private Sector Commission chairman and spokesman for the Social Partners group, told Stabroek News that members of the Social Partners met the PNCR yesterday and have noted the concerns raised. He said that in fairness to the government, members of the Social Partners were still to meet the government to take note of its concerns as well. He underscored the need for joint consultations in dealing with all of the issues involved before taking any decisions.
Meanwhile, the PNCR expressed the hope that the government will honour Attorney General Doodnauth Singh's commitment to have consultations before any further parliamentary action is taken on the bills. The party has also written to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Reepu Daman Persaud, requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the party's concerns before any further legislative action is taken.
The PNCR release said it considered two of the four crime fighting bills "a fundamental departure from the norms of Guyanese and Caribbean jurisprudence." With regard to the Criminal Law (Offences) Amendment Bill No.9, the party said it was "repugnant to the civil and fundamental rights of all Guyanese citizens and seem primarily designed to muzzle and outlaw acceptable constitutional and legal forms of political action which is normal in any functioning democracy." And the Prevention of Crimes (Amendment) Bill No.10, it said, also infringes "the civil and fundamental rights of Guyanese citizens who, for reasons of activities undertaken and/or punished in other legal jurisdictions, are being unfairly and specially targeted."
The party said that it also had some pertinent queries about the other two bills - the Racial Hostility (Amendment) Bill No.11 and the Evidence (Amendment) Bill No.12.