Plea Bargaining debate continues

The purpose of this bill is to enable a prosecutor and an accused person, which includes a person suspected of committing a criminal offence and a defendant in proceedings before the court for criminal proceedings, (whether on his own or represented by an attorney- at-law) to engage in plea discussions aimed at arriving at a plea agreement.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi began debate on the bill on March 22. The debate continued in the House on April 5. A total of 13 MPs have contributed in the debate thus far.

As tomorrow’s sitting of the House is the second for the month, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley will answer questions during the Prime Minister’s Question Period.

Rowley returned to the country on Saturday after a one week vacation in the United States.

Rowley and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young held a series of meetings with major energy multinational companies in Houston from March 29 to 31, prior to taking his vacation.

Newsday understands that some of the questions which the Opposition will be posing to Rowley will be based on his trip to Houston, BP’s decision not to undertake the Angelin platform construction in La Brea and the withdrawal of the Super Fast Galicia from the domestic seabridge. Before the House sits, the Public Accounts Committee meets at Tower D at 10.30 am on Wednesday to hold a public hearing to examine the Auditor General’s Report on the Eastern Regional Health Authority for the period 2008 to 2016.

Meetings of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee and the Land and Physical Infrastructure Committee which were supposed to take place in Tobago tomorrow, were cancelled because of the sitting of the House on the same day.