The 3-year old Dickon Mitchell-led Congress government has broken its silence on the controversial Constitutional Draft Amendment Bill that it is planning to take to Parliament next week for approval.
Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs Senator Claudette Joseph addressed the bill on Tuesday during a sitting of the Upper House of Parliament at Mt Wheldale in St George.
The Bill was the brain child of a 6-member committee involving two Kings Counsel Dr Francis Alexis and Ruggles Ferguson, as well as female Attorney, Guyana-born Anande Trotman Joseph who recently submitted papers to join the rank of KC, as well as former Lieutenant-Colonel Ewart Layne who was one of 17 persons convicted for the October 19, 1983 execution of Marxist Prime Minister Maurice Bishop.
Layne had studied law while in prison but failed to convince the local courts, as well as the British Privy Council that based on his criminal track record he should be considered to practice law in the local jurisdiction.
In addressing the Senate, AG Joseph told fellow legislators that the Bill is part of the Emancipation legislation recently passed in Parliament by the Congress administration.
THE NEW TODAY has heard from reliable sources that the controversial bill was seen for the first time by Cabinet Ministers and high-ranking members of Congress when it was sent to them via Email by a member of the Group pushing for the legislation to be passed in Parliament.
Sen Joseph told the Senate sitting: “Madam President, shortly we will come to this Honourable House with another piece of legislation that will abolish the need for all of us in here to swear allegiance to His Majesty King Charles 111, His Heirs and Successors when we take office.
And to my mind, that one … is an obvious one and a no-brainer. And there should be frankly no demure to this legislation. There should (be) frankly none because we all know it and if we didn’t know it – those of us who didn’t know, should go back and check our history and the various attempts at Constitutional Reform going back to 1985 with the Commission led by Justice Liverpool, and Mr. Bristol – that Constitution Reform Commission.”
“That was about 5, 6 years after we got Independence. And in all the record of Consultations, the people of Grenada from since then were saying we didn’t want to swear allegiance to our former colonial masters who presided over our rule, and the enslavement of our ancestors.
“So when you talking consultation, the consultation record is there from 1985 up to the last attempt at referendum.”
“So we are going to be coming back to this Honourable House and I’m looking forward to the full support of all Members of the House as we take another incremental and unrelenting step towards full emancipation.”
