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alexk
Guest
President of the Law Association of T&T Douglas Mendes SC has written to Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi calling on him to immediately halt a bill currently before Parliament so that proper consultation could take place on it.
The bill in question is Bill No 7 of 2018 titled, “An Act to amend the Interpretation Act, Chap. 3:01, the Supreme Court of Judicature Act, Chap. 4:01, the Summary Courts Act, Chap. 4:20, the Bail Act, Chap. 4:60, Administration of Justice (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) Act, Chap. 5:34, the Legal Aid and Advice Act, Chap. 7:07, the Child Rehabilitation Centre Act, Chap. 13:05, the Indictable Offences (Preliminary Enquiry) Act, Chap. 12:01, the Children Act, Chap. 46:01, the Children’s Community Residences, Foster Care and Nurseries Act, Chap. 46:04, the Children’s Authority Act, Chap. 46:10, and the Family and Children Division Act, 2016”.
The bill was brought before the House of Representatives on June 6.
However, Mendes said the association was not consulted on the bill and was only made aware of it on Wednesday.
“We are of the view that the captioned bill, which was passed in the House of Representatives on the 6th June, 2018, has far-reaching consequences for the legal profession and the administration of justice and it is quite unfortunate, as has been the case with several prior bills, that same was not dispatched to us for consultation, it having only come to our attention on the 27 June, 2018,” Mendes stated.
“It is essential that consultation take place and that same be meaningful. In the circumstances, we recommend strongly that the progress of the captioned bill be halted to permit such consultation with the legal profession and other key stakeholders. We undertake to give you our comments on same on or before 6th July, 2018.”
Mendes said the association looks forward to “kind and urgent” assurances from Al-Rawi that it will receive all proposed legislation which impacts the legal profession and the administration of justice in a timely manner.