Equal Opportunities case begins today

THE hearing of the constitutional motion filed by two groups of disabled persons seeking a High Court order to force Government to set up the Equal Opportunities Tribunal (EOT), will begin this morning in the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain. Justice Gregory Smith will begin hearing legal arguments from Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC on behalf of the disabled persons who are contending that they have been denied protection of the law by Government’s failure to set up the EOT and the Equal Opportunities Commission.

The Equal Opportunities Act was passed in 2000, but Government is yet to enforce this particular law. The State is resisting the motion on the ground that the Act is unconstitutional. Russell Martineau SC, instructed by Deborah Peake, is representing the State. The Act which was passed by the former United National Congress government, was proclaimed in 2001. The Act seeks to protect citizens against discrimination on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, religion, geographical location, disability and marital status. The motion was filed by visually impaired Kenneth Suratt on behalf of five other blind persons.