The Constitution Reform Commission (CRC) presented its report today to the President of Barbados, Her Excellency The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason.
After 27 months of intensive deliberations, the CRC has completed the mandate given to it in June 2022. Chairman of the CRC, Mr. Justice (rtd) Christopher Blackman, made the presentation at State House.
Dame Sandra thanked the members of the Commission for working assiduously to complete the report.
After handing over the document, Mr. Blackman told the Barbados Government Information Service that the Commission produced a report with several recommendations for a Constitution for Barbados.
“The draft Bill, which accompanies the report, expands the provisions of the current Constitution by more than 50 per cent, with a notable aspect being the greatly expanded Chapter on Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. This has led to the recommendation for the establishment of a Human Rights Commission for Barbados.
“While the Commission has recommended the maintenance of the status quo in respect of matters such as the first-past-the-post outcome at elections and elections being called at the discretion of the Prime Minister, other proposals, limiting the powers of the Prime Minister on appointments and the like, have been proposed,” he shared.
Mr. Blackman added that there “are dissenting opinions on the Office of the President, in terms of whether the holder should be directly elected, and the qualifying criteria for the post, as well as in relation to the judiciary”.
He said the CRC was deeply indebted to the drafting team of retired Justice of Appeal and former Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Sherman Moore, and acting Parliamentary Counsel, Gabrielle Whitehall, for their hard work and delivering within the specified timelines.
In an effort to give members of the public an opportunity to share ideas, comments and suggestions, the Commission held several town hall meetings locally, and met with various institutions, stakeholders, and persons in the diaspora.
Senator Gregory Nicholls was the Deputy Chairman of the Commission, while the other members were: Senator Reverend Dr. John Rogers; former Attorney General, Adriel Brathwaite; President of the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union, Mary-Anne Redman; Vice President of the Barbados Council for the Disabled, Kerryann Ifill; Muslim Chaplain at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Suleiman Bulbulia; businessman, Christopher deCaires; Attorney-at-law, Sade Jemmott, and student advocate, Khaleel Kothdiwala.
University of the West Indies lecturer, Professor Cynthia Barrow-Giles, served as Secretary to the Commission. (PR/GIS)
