AG: New constitution review commission coming

Attorney General Dale Marshall has reiterated that Government would shortly be setting up a new Constitution Review Commission, and he would be making recommendations about its membership to Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley.

Marshall made the comments on Friday during a courtesy call with an EU Delegation, which included Managing Director of the Americas for European External Action Service, Brian Glynn; Deputy Director General of International Partnerships, Myriam Ferran, and the Ambassador to Barbados, Malgorzata Wasilewska.

The Attorney General said a draft Constitution had been prepared and he anticipates intense discussions during the public consultations, which are expected to be held over a 12 to 18-month period.  “I hope that before the end of year two of this term, we will be bringing a new Constitution to Parliament,” he stated.

Ambassador Wasilewska congratulated Barbados for its recent “excellent” ranking on the Corruption Perception Index. Marshall said Government was “gratified” about the position, as a lot of effort had been put into this area, including the passage of four important pieces of legislation.

He underscored the importance of transparency to the Barbados Government, and pointed out that various amendments and tweaking had been made to the Integrity in Public Life Bill, which would be brought back to Parliament shortly.

During the wide-ranging discussions, the officials also spoke about matters relating to constitution reform, the death penalty, the court system, and two pieces of legislation pertaining to children, which are almost complete.

Ambassador Wasilewska expressed optimism that the partnership between Barbados and the EU would continue to grow stronger.

Those attending the courtesy call at the Office of the Attorney General at Webster’s Business Park, included Permanent Secretary, Yvette Goddard, and Team Leader for the Caribbean International Partnerships, Olga Baus. (BGIS)