Legislators register plethora of absences for committee sittings

A government lawmaker and an opposition legislator failed to attend a single meeting of a joint select committee reviewing the Criminal Justice (Administration) (Amendment) Act, the Offences Against the Person (Amendment) Act, and the Child Care and Protection (Amendment) Act this year

Government Senator Ransford Braham, KC, is reported to have been absent from all 12 sittings of the committee with no apologies.

At the same time, St Andrew South West Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Angela Brown Burke, an opposition member, did not attend any meeting, but tendered five apologies for her 12 absences. This was set out in the report of the committee, which was tabled and debated in the Lower House on Tuesday.

The committee’s first sitting was held on May 17 this year and its last meeting on November 28, 2023.

Kerensia Morrison, MP for St Catherine North Eastern, also recorded a high rate of absenteeism with the government legislator missing from 10 of the meetings and tendering two apologies for absences.

The poor showing by some lawmakers at meetings of the joint select committee has brought into focus the duty of parliamentarians, particularly at a time when a parliamentary committee is reviewing job descriptions for MPs.

In sharp contrast, Cabinet minister and chairman of the committee Delroy Chuck and Kavan Gayle, a government senator, had perfect attendance records.

Government Senator Sherene Golding Campbell did not fail in her parliamentary duty as she attended 11 of the sittings.

Opposition Senator Lambert Brown was absent nine times, attending only three sittings. Brown, who tendered seven apologies, was ill over a period of time when the committee held its meetings.

The report sets out a raft of recommendations, including mandatory minimum sentences for minors who commit capital and non-capital murder.

One of the recommendations of the committee that has triggered intense debate among human rights groups is a proposed amendment to the Child Care and Protection Act that will see a minor found guilty of capital murder serving a sentence of not less than 20 years before becoming eligible for parole.

Human rights lobby Stand Up for Jamaica (SUFJ) has since expressed concern about this proposal.

SUFJ Executive Director Maria Carla Gullotta said the current administration’s stance of being “tough on crime” by legislating mandatory minimum sentences reduces the opportunity for the rehabilitation of inmates and for their reintegration into society on their release.

“This is a way of killing hope for these children, many of whom come from unstable, fractured and often abusive family backgrounds, and who fall under the harmful influence of adults, who often exploit them,” Gullotta said in a press release recently.

editorial@gleanerjm.com

Attendance record

Other committee members:

Fayval Williams – present 5; absent 5; apologies 2

Donovan Williams – present 7; absent 5; apology 1

Tamika Davis – present 5; absent 7; apologies 4

Denise Daley – present 4; absent 8; apologies 2

*Charles Sinclair – present 9; absent 1; apology 1

Donna Scott-Mottley – present 9; absent 3; apologies 3

Sophia Fraser-Binns – present 9; absent 3; apologies 2

*Lawmaker could have possibly attended 10 meetings.