Attorney General should sit in Parliament, Golding insists
Published:Tuesday | January 11, 2022 | 1:30 PM
Janet Silvera/Senior Gleaner Writer
Hours after the Government named a new Attorney General, Opposition Leader Mark Golding has called for the position to be brought into Parliament in order for the holder of the office to be held accountable to the people of Jamaica.
Dr Derrick McKoy, a former Contractor General of Jamaica, was appointed the new Attorney General by Prime Minister Andrew Holness yesterday during a Cabinet reshuffle, but he won't sit in Parliament, unlike his predecessor Marlene Malahoo-Forte, laments Golding.
“This is an unacceptable arrangement,” stated Golding, who was addressing journalists this morning during a press conference called by the People's National Party (PNP) to discuss the economy, national security, health and education.
“Especially at a time when the Prime Minister has been talking about constitutional reform,” Golding argued, accusing the Government of being serial a violator of the Constitution.
The PNP president contended that the Holness administration cannot be trusted with any additional constitutional powers, citing concerns for the democratic rights of Jamaicans.
“The Attorney General must be brought into Parliament so that he can answer to the representatives of the people,” Golding stressed.
The new Attorney General was sworn in earlier today by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen.
Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.