The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

INTRODUCING Marco’s Law for debate in parliament before the end of the year will depend on the completion of the current bills being debated, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage told The Tribune yesterday.

When asked for a date on the tabling of the bill that will include the establishment of the “The Marco Alert” through amendment to the Child Protection Act, the minister said “after the next adjournment of parliament”.

“I don’t know when it will be, but it will be sometime in the next couple of weeks, I’m not sure. It depends on when we finish these bills and adjourn, when we come back, we’ll bring Marco’s Bill.”

Dr Nottage had previously indicated that the bill would be tabled when parliament resumed in the week of October 2.

“This alert system, we hope, will garner the support of society as a whole and will aid in facilitating the recovery of abducted and/or endangered children,” he explained at the time of the previous announcement.

“Of course we prefer not to have to have a ‘Marco’s Alert’, but as circumstances require it, we will now be better prepared for it. I was personally involved in the search for young Marco Archer when he went missing and we were concerned about certain protocols that were in place that we thought hindered the recovery of the child – and so we are fixing that.”

Other bills have been tabled in parliament for debate. These include the six crime bills being presently debated; the Firearms Amendment Bill, the Prevention of Bribery Bill, the Evidence Amendment Bill, the Anti-Terrorism Amendment Bill and the Penal Code Amendment Bill.