Constitutional reform to be multi-stakeholder effort – AG Nandlall

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Hon. Mohabir Anil Nandlall, today, said the Government intends to keep its manifesto promise on constitutional reform and will start the process with discussions in the National Assembly.  

The Attorney General made these statements in his contribution to the 2020 Budget debates. 

With only four months left in the year, the work will begin on constitutional reform through the Budget, the AG said. Discussions will be held in the Assembly’s standing committee on constitutional reform where the modalities will be worked out. 

“Our approach to constitutional reform will not be Government-driven. It will be Government in partnership with the Parliamentary Opposition, in partnership with civil society in a multi-stakeholder drive and it will be driven by the people of this country who will be consulted nationally,” the AG stated. 

Contributions from the consultations will be analysed to begin the process.

AG Nandlall said the Ministry of Legal Affairs was dormant for the past five years under the previous administration. As such, work is being done on several critical Bills within the next four months.

They include a Bail Bill, a Hire Purchase Bill, an Arbitration Bill, amendments to the Companies Act, and a series of legislation for the petroleum industry.