THE EDITOR: Open letter to the Attorney General.
By letter dated December19, 2022, you advised that the draft "Fireworks Bill" had been comprehensively reviewed subsequent to the public consultation that year.
You also confirmed that all the recommendations coming out of the public consultation were taken into consideration in proposing the revised policy recommendations which were transmitted for the attention of the Cabinet prior to December 19.
You further advised that it was your intention to ensure that the bill would be tabled in the shortest possible time in the Parliament. More than six months have passed and we now ask for an update on the current status of the draft bill.
We note your lack of response to our requests dated January 3, February 6 and March 10 for a status update and remind you that it has been 20 years since the Law Reform Commission reported on the need to legislate the use of fireworks. Let not your tenure as Attorney General further erode the integrity of the office.
The Constitution, Chapter 1, Part 1, recognises a person's fundamental human rights to the enjoyment of property. In the initial draft of the Fireworks Bill, your proposal takes away what little protection there currently exists under the Summary Offences Act, sections 99 and 100, and permits a free-for-all in residential areas on public holidays and December 31 within specific hours.
Section 53 of the Constitution requires the Parliament to make laws for the peace, order and good government of TT. This requires the Cabinet to review the existing laws which permit cruelty (in this case from the discharge of fireworks) and to enact new laws that will protect citizens.
This is not being accomplished with the legislative amendments initially proposed in the draft bill and to delay further infringes on the constitutional rights of citizens.
The outcome of the public consultation was overwhelming. Ninety-two per cent of respondents, based on all the responses we received from your office, and considering those who do not profit from the sale of fireworks, responded that additional regulation was required to protect citizens.
We are bewildered as to why the Government is having such a difficult time with this, considering that the recommendations are coming from not only private citizens, but also its own state and regional corporations.
Considering the earlier recommendations from the joint select committee of Parliament and the Environmental Management Authority, in addition to the input received during the public consultation, it is clear that the recommendations in the initial draft of the bill from the Law Reform Commission and your office fly in the face of public sentiment.
Just consider some of the input received during the public consultation from key stakeholders:
Police service: "The proposed exemptions for a permit on public holidays and Old Year's Night is not supported. Police face numerous challenges in enforcing laws related to fireworks."
Electricity Commission: "Firework
