Thursday, May 19, 2016
There are some things that need to happen quickly, and one such is enactment of the recommendations to amend the Child Care and Protection Act and the Criminal Justice (Administration) Act that were intended to impose stiffer penalties for those who murder, rape or commit other violent offences against our children.
 |
| Lisa Hanna |
The legislation also envisaged the introduction of the necessary administrative steps to ensure that those cases of abuse of children be afforded priority scheduling and disposal in the courts.
The continuing abuse, including rape and other forms of violence against children, has ensured that there is broad bipartisan support for the Bills and there should be no objection to taking them out of the pile and putting them on top for immediate attention.
We hope that the Opposition spokesperson on youth, Miss Lisa Hanna is misinformed in saying that the current Administration has not seen it fit to list these Bills as a priority for the new parliamentary year. Memories are short, and in this dynamic country too many issues too easily become nine-day wonders. And so lest we forget, the recommended amendments to which we refer are:
1. Stiffer penalties for those who murder, rape or commit other serious violent offences against children, treating the victim’s status as a child as an aggravating feature resulting in a substantial uplift in the sentence on conviction.
2. A requirement that those cases be afforded priority in the trial list, with respect to scheduling and disposal in the courts. more
No comments:
Post a Comment