There has been some debate recently on Government’s affection for the negative resolution. That is, they embed in a law the ability for a Minister to amend the law directly. The idea is that rather than schedule a full blown debate on amendments by routine, the Minister can table the proposed change in Parliament. If no-one objects within 21 days the amendment becomes law.
Sounds logical. But the art is in the detail.
MP John Barritt notes that:
I did a quick check of Bermuda laws online and totted up 75 listed regulations, orders or notices for the year 2009. I also perused the Minutes of the House of Assembly for 2009 and found that only 15 were recorded as having been tabled or laid before the House.
If this is true, the negative resolution process is being neglectfully followed … and may even be prone to abuse. Can you imagine many democracies in the world where this would be acceptable?
Parliament is not doing its job, and this is yet another Bermuda system that is broken.
There’s rust on dat der platinum.
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