by Linda Straker
- Coronavirus (Covid-19) Control Bill 2020 was placed on order paper scheduled for Wednesday, 29 July
- Documents were circulated to media on Friday, 24 July
- Grenada Bar Association received Bill from Attorney General’s chambers on Saturday, 25 July
The Grenada Bar Association (GBA) said it sees its role as a critique to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Control Bill 2020, and will not participate in any meaningless consultation if the Attorney General stands by his words that nothing much will come up of the discussion with the Bar members.
“The role of the Bar, as we see it, will be to critique the Bill as drafted based on applicable legal principles and to make recommendations for its replacement or amendment in compliance with the law and public policy as the case may be,” the GBA said in a statement on Monday.
The Coronavirus (Covid-19) Control Bill 2020 was placed on the order paper for a sitting of the House of Representatives scheduled for Wednesday, 29 July 2020. The documents were circulated to the media on Friday, 24 July and since then it has become a topic of heated debate mainly on social media platforms.
On Sunday, government announced through a press release from the Government Information Service (GIS) that it will not table the Bill and will embark on a consultative process. “Government accepts responsibility for not ensuring that the public had a full explanation of the Bill, before attempting to take it to Parliament, and therefore commits to improving the process.”
Government as a courtesy has previously submitted laws to the GBA for fit for purpose review.
In the GIS release, government reiterated the importance of putting systems and structures in place to ensure that there is no outbreak of Covid-19 in Grenada and that the life of every citizen is protected, using all possible means. So far, collectively, Grenada has been able to control and manage the spread of the virus and this remains our priority.
The Grenada Bar Association said that having received the Bill from the Attorney General’s chambers on Saturday, 25 July 2020 for the first time, the association determined that the “responsible position it should take is to help the process by first seeking the withdrawal of the Bill to allow for consultation with the government and other interested stakeholders, which the government has now admitted should have and did not take place.”
However, it was unhappy with the action of the Attorney General after the government announced the delay of tabling the Bill during the Parliament sitting.
“One day after the government issued its statement, its principal legal advisor has embarked on a round of media outings and has been heard to make statements which signal that he does not expect the consultation to be anything other than an empty exercise,” said the release. “Given the anxiety and agitation which this Bill has already caused to the public, at a time of unprecedented national anxiety and stress, the Government of Grenada must decide whether the message now being carried by the Attorney General is in the interest of the public which has legitimate reasons to be concerned about the content and implications of this Bill.”
“For our part, the Grenada Bar will not participate in any “pappyshow” consultation if, according to the Attorney General, the outcome is already fixed. If the government does not commit to a genuine consultative process, this will only invite further disquiet and disruption into our national space. We urge that good sense must prevail for the good of all of us,” the GBA said.
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Communism! Is that what you are wishing on your beautiful island? Take that back! We need to change our mindset ! Think before we write! I believe we need to get back to God!
Grenada have a Mathematics major for a PM
Grenada have an exceptional business man for a PM
He does not need a resume for a job. His experiences speaks for him. By name.
What the pm don’t believe in is DEMOCRACY!
Democracy is for the people and NOT SELF…. by all means. A PM job is to secure his people, and their best interests. The PM will be the PM he is.
This government is a joke. What happened to democracy?!
Grenadians,
our rights and freedoms are being eroded and systematically removed. time to wake up ..#endcorruption
Grenadians waking up…but the part about keeping the people safe by all means is BS when they just want to keep Grenadians under their foot
My question is, why wase’nt the Grenadian people consulted about this misterious sychological bill? Keith Mitchell you do not have to punish your people for your financial gain, we did not create covid-19 and not our fault that the economy drop. Find other means for Economical recovery, not by implementing draconian laws on the people of Grenada. We are already fighting to survive, lots of people are not working there are a great increase in job losses. If this bill is implemented we will have more crimes being committed because I know for sure young people of Grenada would not sit back and watch you impose on their right or freedom. (SAVE YOU SELF FROM ANOTHER REVOLUTION) I am appealing to the youth of Grenada fight for you all rights. We don’t need no dictatorship in Grenada, that sychological slavery mentality Bill must not be implemented. We are doing fine with measures you did put in place during the three months/four months of the covid-19 virus pandemic, let us continue that way. “One year lock down for what? Come on”. Did those Chinese advise you to do that against your people? All those resigned so call ministers who robbed and oweing thousands of dollars to the nation and went unpunished get them to pay up, now is the time. We do not need no law enforcement to invade our privacy freely without a warrant when most of them lack proper training and break the rules themselves.
This government seems to be reeking of corruption, is there any body that can get Mitchell in a corner and sort him out?
And yet i still hear ppl praising him! He has robbed this country of money, putting it further in debt just to line his pockets! Grenadians must love suffering yes
Well well as far as i understands this bill isn.t going away for now . Fellow Grenadians be prepared . The Attoney General make his mind up wherher there are consulation or not . So people gather the masses and get the lawyers in keith mitchel and the NNP taking this 1t seats as a green light for communism.
Watch them well they just going to reword this and pass it we can only imagine what else has been passed .