Government and Opposition will meet Wednesday to discuss the Bail Amendment Bill which the Government wants to extend unchanged due to matters in the courts.
The Opposition confirmed the meeting last Friday. Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said yesterday he’s grateful for it since he wrote the Opposition leader since June 2 seeking a meeting.
The bill lapses in August. Parliament takes its mid-year recess next month. The bill’s passage requires a special majority vote and needs Opposition support for its passage.
When the Government brought the bill several weeks ago, the Opposition had said it was examining the matter. On the eve of debate over a week ago, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar wrote Prime Minister Keith Rowley seeking a meeting to discuss it. Debate started in the Parliament the day after, but this was shelved for the Opposition meeting.
Rowley last Wednesday—speaking on the bill—protested: “We have nothing to negotiate with those people.” That same day Government House leader Camille Robinson-Regis wrote Persad-Bissessar agreeing to meet the Opposition with a Government team on June 23—the next day.
The Opposition however said Robinson-Regis’ date was given at short notice and suggested meeting this Wednesday instead. The Government agreed, Opposition whip Ganga Singh said.
Yesterday Al-Rawi said: “I wrote the Opposition since June 2. We’re now at the end of June. This is a serious matter for T&T. None of the work required to be measured and analysed in the five years when the Bail amendments were operationalised—and on the Anti Gang bill also—were done by either of the previous attorneys general, Anand Ramlogan or Garvin Nicholas. I’ve done that work.”
Al-Rawi said the bail amendment was being returned (unchanged) and had to be, due to the extent of litigation ongoing regarding that law and the anti-Gang law in the courts.
“We’re still in the course of measuring efficiency and impact of the anti-gang amendments and awaiting information from the Director of Public Prosecutions. In those circumstances we required a two-year extension of the law.”
He said “public odium” should be focused on former AG Ramlogan (now practicing) and attorney Gerald Ramdeen who are challenging the constitutionality of the bail bill.
“This translates to a direct challenge by Ramlogan on the very law he brought and passed (as AG),” said Al-Rawi, adding: “Unfortunately morality cannot be legislated. It’s a wholly intolerable position where you’re approbating and reprobating an issue.
“And nobody is saying a word about this scandalous position including the Opposition leader who appointed Ramlogan and recently-appointed Ramdeen as an Opposition senator.” (GA)