Public did not request or were privy to some amendments to Police Bill- Premier
The Bill, which our news site was the first to bring to light in an article on February 3, 2023, entitled ‘Police Bill 2023 raises red flags & makes way for police abuse of rights’, was scheduled to get its second and third readings at today’s Third Sitting of the Fifth Session of the Fourth House of Assembly (HoA) at the Save the Seed Centre, in Duffs Bottom, Tortola, however, the HoA has held off on that.
Who prepared the Police Bill?
According to the sponsor of the Bill, Dr Wheatley, since security is a matter that falls under the remit of the Governor, this Bill would have been prepared through the collaboration of the Deputy Governor’s Office, the Police, the Attorney General with input from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
He said the Bill was introduced in the HoA a number of times, but not passed and it has been in the public sphere literally for years.
The Premier also said there has been significant time spent, significant edits made and criticisms heard, which include public concerns.
He said he was involved in consultations on the Police Act in Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost van Dyke, and all throughout Tortola, and, as a result of the feedback received last year, a number of amendments to the Bill was proposed.
Amendments sneaked in?
“In addition to the proposed amendments based on public consultation a number of additional amendments were made to the Bill that the pubic did not request and were not privy to. These changes are reflected in the Bill that was introduced to the House of Assembly a week ago,” Premier Smith disclosed.
Premier Wheatley’s statement comes as local police officers of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) have claimed to not have seen the version that made it to the HoA.
Speaking to Virgin Islands News Online on condition of anonymity, many police officers noted that while they were involved and discussed the original draft of the Police Act, after they made some recommendations no one came back to them as a group to say what was adopted in the Bill from the police officers.
Bill will not be passed with present concerns- Premier
Meanwhile, Premier Wheatley said Members of the House of Assembly have engaged the BVI Bar Association, individual lawyers, concerned citizens, and a number of others on the Police Act 2023, and the concerns are consistent.
“We convened an informal meeting of the House, and we communicated with top officials of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force and communicated that under no circumstances would this Bill be passed without amendments to the areas that have caused such grave concern to the Members of the House and the public at large.”
Dr Wheatley applauded officials of the RVIPF who he said collaboratively worked through the areas of the Bill that should be amended to protect the public while allowing the Police the power to protect and serve the public.
A pattern exposed?
This is not the first time that a Bill emanating from the Governor’s Group have sought to include amendments that the public did not request or were privy to.
An example of such was the Register of Interests Act 2022, which was subsequently rejected by the HoA and civil servants.
The Bill was subsequently passed with amendments.
It was also in October 2022, that Junior Minister for Trade, Economic Development, Agriculture and Fisheries Hon Shereen D. Flax-Charles (AL) chided the Deputy Governor's Office for rushing bills to the HoA without proper consultation and also without allowing legislators ample time to review them.
“[There was] no adequate notice and I am very disturbed by that. How many times are we going to do this? It happened with the Registrar of Interest Act, where we got it the very morning we were coming in here. Where did that bill come from? Who wrote it? Why didn’t we see it before?” Flax-Charles questioned during the debate on the Jury Act 2022, at the Continuation of the 7th Sitting of the Fourth Session of the Fourth House of Assembly on October 18, 2022.
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16 Responses to “Public did not request or were privy to some amendments to Police Bill- Premier”
The r***t white uk officers had there plans for you b****ks
THE PUBLIC AS SNALL AS THEY WERE AT THESE MEETINGS ASKED QUESTI9NS. SLOWANDLIAR
I do not agree with all of the measures that are contained in the bill. However, to sit and watch for solutions to come from elsewhere, is a travesty. I must commend the Premier for his courage to withdraw the bill and have more consultations with the various organizations in the community. We are very fortunate to have such a brilliant young man to lead the Territory at this crucial time of our history. He operates as if he has been in the job for many seasons. He is a very eloquent and intelligent speaker and can represent the country on any international stage. That is why I will give him my unswerving support at upcoming General Election.