No decision on banning licks
PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday gave the assurance that Government is not going to take any unilateral decision to pass legislation in Parliament that will ban parents from punishing children in their homes.
The Prime Minister made this clear to reporters after an Easter tea event she hosted at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s where she appealed to religious organisations in the country to partner with Government to ensure that 23,000 children are enrolled in early childhood education centres by September. Speaking after the event, Persad-Bissessar sought to dispel rumours that Government would be bringing legislation to ban corporal punishment in the home after a woman beat her 12-year old daughter and posted a video of her doing so on Facebook. “It is not a unilateral decision by anyone,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said these are matters which will be guided by the Gender, Youth and Child Development Ministry and then come to Cabinet for consideration. She also said Government has received a second report from the Child Protection Task Force and is trying to implement its recommendations as swiftly as possible.
Persad-Bissessar said she passed a letter from ex-Solicitor General Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell about an alleged racket involving lawyers engaged in prison litigation to Attorney General Anand Ramlogan.
Describing it as a “serious matter for concern”, Persad-Bissessar said: “I am advised that certain discussions took place.” She said she was further advised that there was another letter in which Donaldson-Honeywell expressed satisfaction about the action that was taken, but she (Persad- Bissessar) had not seen that letter.
The Prime Minister also said Government will not proceed at this time, with partial accession to make the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) this country’s final appellate court as it has not received unanimity from Caricom to do so.
During the Easter Tea, Persad-Bissessar appealed to the country’s religious organisations to partner with Government to achieve its goal of universal free pre-school education in the country. ..READ MORE