Many firsts in Senate today

NEW Attorney-General John Jeremie will officially be sworn in as a Government Senator when the Upper House sits today at 1.30 pm, ushering in a series of firsts in the day’s proceedings. Jeremie was sworn in as AG by President George Maxwell Richards during a ceremony at President’s House yesterday.

Once sworn in, the new AG will be called upon to lay the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Bill 2003 and the Constitution (Amendment) (No 2) Bill 2003. The former bill is designed to establish the CCJ as Trinidad and Tobago’s final court of appeal instead of the Privy Council. The Opposition UNC has refused to support the CCJ unless there is constitutional reform in TT. Prime Minister Patrick Manning accused the UNC of reneging on its support for the CCJ while it was in power and embarrassing TT in the eyes of the Caricom community in the process. Caricom leaders are due to meet in summit before the CCJ becomes operational later this month.

UNC MP for St Joseph, Gerald Yetming, has publicly expressed uncertainty about whether he would vote with the Opposition against the CCJ legislation. Today will also see John Rahael perform his first duty as the new Health Minister when he lays a motion to approve the Professions Related to Medicine Rules 2003 in the Senate. Rahael’s predecessor, Colm Imbert, laid this motion in the Lower House one week earlier and it was passed. Following last week’s reshuffle, Imbert was appointed as the new Science, Technology and Tertiary Education Minister. Debate will continue on a motion by Independent Senator, Professor Ramesh Deosaran, for live parliamentary debates and Opposition motions on prevention of corruption in public life and equal opportunity legislation.