Attorney General Carl Bethel. (File photo)
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A DRAFT of a post-Emergency Orders Bill that will replace current COVID-19 restrictions is still in the “consultation phase”, Attorney General Carl Bethel said.
It is not clear when the legislation will be completed or if the Minnis administration plans to have the bill tabled in Parliament before the current emergency orders are set to end next month.
Mr Bethel did not respond to additional questions sent by the Tribune.
He only said: “The draft bill is still only in the consultation phase.”
However, speaking in the Senate in February, Senator Bethel said his office was close to completing the bill, which he said was difficult to draft.
According to Mr Bethel, the bill will create an advisory committee to suggest protocols that fall in line with the constitution and suggested the move will ensure society returns to normal following the expiration of the COVID-19 restrictions.
“On the issue of the emergency orders, the government is and my drafts person has been working very hard on crafting a bill that will fill the void, if you will, between the Health Services Bill and the need for this constitutional order,” Mr Bethel said at the time. “The idea is that the bill, and we are in the very final stages of it, is going to be carefully crafted.
“Anything that is done must be reasonably justifiable, which is the constitutional standard for ordinary everyday conduct legislation, government actions, etcetera.
He continued: “So, everything is being based and premised on the phrase that it is ‘reasonably justifiable’ in the circumstance so we are very very close to having a post-Emergency Orders Bill and that will allow the Prime Minister to have an advisory committee (with) opposition members, government members, medical professionals on it, to advise the minister so that in a sense the political directorate on both sides would have a say at the advisory committee level and of course there would be parliamentary oversight.
“So, we’re trying to craft a house firmly under the jurisdiction of normality that is guided by ordinary constitutional principles of being reasonably justifiable and that has input on all sides at every stage. That should be forthcoming. As soon as it is completed of course it goes to Cabinet. Cabinet will have to approve it, but we’re trying to come up with a new framework,” he said in February.
When asked by The Tribune last month whether the government plans to end the state of emergency when the emergency orders expire in May, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis only said: “That would be my greatest and happiest moment to release the Emergency Orders. I would be elated and in fact on that particular day, you would probably see me jumping and kicking my two feet together.”
Comments
newcitizen 3 years, 6 months ago
All these people crying about the vaccine and they don't realize that this is how they are going to get swindled. This "post-Emergency order" bill will give the government way more power than before covid, and there will be no end to it. It will always be 'post-emergency' for a couple years and by then it will just be the way things are.
tribanon 3 years, 6 months ago
Bingo!
carltonr61 3 years, 6 months ago
Pray not. These conniving blk elite Bahamian billionaire gangsters only look out for themselves. Between PLP and FNM just post UBP treasury had plenty money time way back so. To date, government or the people owes 10billion dollars, or each living, unborn or dead Bahamian owes $25,000 twenty five dollars to banks that we working people pay through heavy tax on this tax and that, food and dis and dat. Yes we will get swing again as to further enrich themselves at the expense of all government workers and private workers, our ruling class will enshrine medical, insurance taxes on our 4million tourists. That will be the price of our freedom from these slave owner privileged, gilded, entitled for life robbers Robin Hood to their grand children. He showed us who the money will go to. Follow the money. Tourism will belong to them, so too the beaches, Historical Forts and locations. When they free us cattle they will own the grazing lands. I do not know how the DNA and Workers Unions are going to work this out but both PLP and FNM have to go. Gross mismanagement that between the two parties like proffessional wrestling we the spectators owe 10billion or $25,000 dollars each watching them play wrestle while they rob us blind.
DDK 3 years, 6 months ago
BTW, how many Senator/Attorney Generals have we had in the Bahamas? Always thought that was a bit peculiar...
DDK 3 years, 6 months ago
The whole idea of somehow constituionalizing the very unconstitutional emergency orders is a great load of dangerous caca. This bunch needs to go, YESTERDAY! We are nearing the point of no democratic return with the FNM/PLP two ring circus which has done an admirable job of keeping the MAJORITY of the voting population ignorant and uneducated as they steadily move forward and onward to attain absolute power.
carltonr61 3 years, 6 months ago
This is how you follow the taxes levied on Bahamians. An oxygen supply company helped out a political party. By lightening strike all businesses must have men barge in to check your fire extinguior or you get no business licenses. Follow new taxes upon us to private entities. Westminister Political gangsters.
carltonr61 3 years, 6 months ago
https://www.rt.com/news/522202-germany-…
What our new normal control by politicians over us slaves will look like. Follow the elite masters of us script. You have been warned.
carltonr61 3 years, 6 months ago
Our Covid people get their orders out of country. They mimic a Covid script of doom and gloom. Every propaganda about Covid killing people becomes facts of fear to force us into vaccine compliance forever and someone here will make the money. For hundreds of years India has been burning their dead and poor slumb dwellers die as in Mother Theresa's days. But today our Covid experts are Covid politicizing Ibdia's culture of burial to cast fear in us of a new wave. Indians will continue to die but amazing how our Covid brainwashers put their lying death bowing script together.
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