Less than two hours after the House of Representatives convened after nine weeks of vacation it was adjourned to September 15, much to the chagrin of the Opposition. The move was made in just under an hour of debate after questions were answered the Speaker had to use her casting vote three times.
MPs were debating motions on Senate amendments to the Bail (Access to Bail) (Amendment) Bill, 2017, which sought to address the issue of people who may become flight risks and abscond from bail.
Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said what was being proposed was that “any form of security which a judicial officer may give as a requirement for a condition of bail, be it cash, be it property, be it a bond from a licensed financial institution, whatever it may be or any combination as we now propose, that the form of security be one which can be subject to forfeiture with the consent of the defendant in the circumstances set out in the bill.”
He said there is no mandatory statement of law that the provision of security can only be in very narrow circumstances. In fact, he said the practice in the High Court, magistracy and the Court of Appeal with respect to the application or requirement to give security is not one which is uncommon.
But Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar again raised Opposition concerns made during the debate that “we, in a period when crime is the number one issue in the country, and here we are making it easier for access to bail, that is what amendments are for.”
Persad-Bissessar said on the one hand the Parliament was being asked to “ease up that process and on the other hand we are being asked to consider elsewhere locking down bail with respect to crimes given this very horrid situation.”
She said the Opposition was “not in a position to support the amendments.”
With no Opposition support likely and with the Government bench down by at least two of its members - Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, who is out of the country and La Horquetta/Talparo MP Maxie Cuffie, who is hospitalised, Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson-Regis suggested that the house adjourn debate on motion one and move on to motion two.
But Point-a-Pierre MP David Lee objected on the grounds that “we came after a long vacation to do the people’s business.”
A division was taken. The result was 17 for, 17 against with no abstentions. Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George used her casting vote in favour of the Government.
Robinson-Regis then proposed that the motion dealing with the Senate amendments to the Criminal Procedure (Plea Discussion and Plea Agreement) Bill, 2017 be dealt with. The Opposition again objected. A division was taken with a similar result - 17,17, no abstentions - and the Speaker again used her casting vote in favour of the Government.
Robinson-Regis then moved that the House be adjourned to September 15 at 1.30 pm.
However, Lee again objected saying it was “disheartening after nine weeks of vacation” they could not debate the matter.
The Speaker then put the question for the adjournment of the house to the floor and again a division was called for. The end result was 17, 17, no abstentions and she used her casting vote. The house was the adjourned.
Persad-Bissessar later told the media the Speaker had saved the day for the Government, whom she said came to the Parliament unprepared after nine weeks of vacation.
