Queen’s Counsel Parnel Campbell has described the 2018 Attorney General Reference Bill as a useful and necessary piece of legislation.
This comes as the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) has called for more public discussion on the bill which received its first reading last Thursday in the House of Assembly.
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves rejected claims of a hidden agenda in bringing the bill to parliament saying that it has nothing to do with making changes to the constitution, but is instead intended to aid in the “interpretation of the constitution”.
Campbell, who was speaking on his “Law and You” programme on SVG-TV Monday night, said that the legislation allows the Attorney General to ask questions of the Court of Appeal that may be theoretical and that the proposed new legislation does not take away the rights of persons from going to the Privy Council.
Campbell said that the 2018 Attorney General Reference Bill does not interfere with the power of the court and also highlighted that the legislation allows parties to pay from the consolidated.
Meanwhile, President of the SVG Bar Association, Rene Baptiste says copies of the bill were circulated to members of the bar and it is on the agenda for their executive meeting on Wednesday.
