Senators differ on approach to debating critical bill

A BILL, which proposes to allow as evidence statements provided by witnesses who died subsequent to providing testimonies, is to be debated in the Senate next Friday.

Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne said the Committal Proceedings Act "is very urgent, I am told, as part of the fight against crime, so we need to move with that urgently".

But Opposition Senator K.D. Knight has proposed that the bill be sent to a joint select committee for consideration and a report. Lightbourne dismissed the suggestion saying the Government intended to take the debate.

The bill seeks to introduce a new procedure to be called the Committal Proceedings, and is to replace preliminary examinations.

At present, indictable matters are brought to the Resident Magistrate's Court for resident magistrates to determine whether a case is made out. If the magistrate is convinced that the accused has a case to answer, he sends the case to the Circuit courts for trial.