Constitutional Reform Committee has nothing to hide – Morgan

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Information, Robert Morgan, this morning stated that the Government has no interest in hiding the work of the Constitutional Reform Committee from Jamaicans.

Morgan was responding to recommendations by anti-corruption watchdog group the National Integrity Action (NIA) and Opposition Member of Parliament Julian Robinson that the meetings of the committee be conducted under the public glare. 

While asserting that constitutional reform is a public process, Morgan, however, stated that some stages of the undertaking require a level of conscientiousness. 

“We're at the beginning stage of the process, we are now at a stage where the Opposition and a wide cross of persons are sitting around a table looking at the sticky legalistic issues to condense them and to mould them in a way that when they do go out into the public there is a clear explanation to the public as to this is what the country is proposing,” he said. 

“We cannot draft a bill in Sam Sharpe Square. A bill requires discussion [and] consultation with numerous groups, including the public,” he added. 

Morgan stated that the Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs has done several public education initiatives and will be holding further public consultations with citizens such as town hall meetings. 

“Sometimes I am a bit fascinated listening to the conversations because the constitutional reform process is a public process. There has to be a referendum to determine whether we move from a constitutional monarchy to a republic and we can't go out and do a referendum without public education, without advising the people as to what it means to become a republic,” he said at a post-cabinet press briefing on Wednesday. 

NIA director Professor Trevor Munroe has argued that the deliberations of the committee, which will address changes to provisions related to the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms and other entrenched sections of the Constitution, be conducted in a transparent manner and be open to public scrutiny.

He also called for the terms of reference of the committee to be formally published.

Munroe has also cautioned against presenting concrete decisions to the public before proper consultation.

“These folks seem to think this is a matter that you decide and then ask what you think?” Munroe in a recent Gleaner interview. 

However, Morgan asserted that the Government is focused on moving the constitutional reform process forward.

“The main argument that has been made by many persons over the years is 'why are we not a republic', 'why are we taking so long?' And now that we have started the process, people are saying 'why are you moving so fast?'”

- Sashana Small 

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