Public to weigh in on Human Rights bill
The Deputy Governor’s Office has announced that public meetings will continue across the four main islands, allowing residents to review the Human Rights Commission Bill and provide feedback.
“The launch of this process marks a critical phase in the legislative journey. The Human Rights Commission Bill is a significant step forward in the proper handling of human rights matters. As we begin this process, it is vital that individuals across the Territory listen, participate, and lend their voices to shaping the future of this Bill,” Deputy Governor David Archer Jr stated.According to the Deputy Governor’s Office, the proposed Human Rights Commission would be empowered to:
- Receive and investigate complaints about acts or practices that may be inconsistent with or contrary to human rights as established in Chapter Two of The Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007.
- Promote public awareness, understanding, and appreciation of human rights and related international agreements.
- Handle complaints against public officers, government departments, statutory bodies, individuals, and corporate or unincorporated entities regarding human rights violations.
Discussions surrounding human rights gained momentum during the House of Assembly’s debate on the Police Act in January, which proposed measures such as electronic surveillance, covert operations, and controlled deliveries. These provisions raised concerns among some lawmakers about potential infringements on human rights, leading to pushback from the Opposition.
Health Minister Vincent Wheatley supported the Human Rights Commission Bill while emphasizing the importance of protecting fundamental rights. Many lawmakers, including Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley, expressed that such a commission was long overdue and could play a critical role in addressing human rights concerns in future legislative debates.
In April 2024, the Deputy Governor’s Office called on residents to participate in shaping the Human Rights Commission Bill, 2024. Similar to the proposed 2025 Bill, the commission would consist of five human rights commissioners, ensuring equal representation of men and women. Additionally, at least one commissioner would be required to reside on a Sister Island, reflecting the territory’s diversity.
Public meetings will continue, giving residents the opportunity to voice concerns, ask questions, and influence the development of the Human Rights Commission Bill.
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If the BVI had had an effective Human Rights Bill in the early 1990’s; and in particular, a bill that addressed the Rights of a Child, my attempts to secure my children’s right to a father may have had a happier ending.
Although The Children Act 1989 did not, did not at that time apply to the British Virgin Islands, it nevertheless was a valuable guide to the current trends of thought.
In seeking clarification from the Law Commission as to what would be considered “lengthy delay” I was told that a period in excess of twelve weeks would be considered unreasonable. In my case, the court took no less than SIX YEARS to attend to outstanding matters. This is twenty-six times over the recommended limit and must surely represent a record in the delay of matters concerning the welfare of a child.
My book “For the Sake of the Children” is a personal account of parental alienation. There are millions of similar cases worldwide, but mine has the distinction of being one of the worst.
https://www.studiopublications.org/product-page/for-the-sake-of-the-children
Mr Burnett, i’ll definitely buy this book. As a child of divorce, i really don’t understand why you were allowed access to your biological children.I am sure a story this story has 3 sides; yours, your ex wife and the truth. Unfirtunately, my father didn’t have the gut to fight for custody or even home visits. I left the Territory as a child, visited on two occassions but never had the chance to meet with my father until HE thought it was in his best interest after i completed my education and had a very good job. My father blamed my mom but as i have told him over the ensuing years, my Mother never said anything bad about him. However, his lack of interest of being involved in my life spoke volumes. It shaped my mind as to who he was as a person. For many years i hated my father, however i recognised the importance of forgiveness. I forgave him and is very happy i did. It allowed me to heal and move on in my life and make better decisions about all of my relationships. According to an older person who lived next door to my parents, my father liked to beat my mom. Eventually, my mother recognised this wasn’t the life she wanted to live or for her daughter to be exposed to physical and verbal abuse. So she left and never looked back. He found it was in his best interest to look for me or pay the Court ordered child support. My mother was ambitious and she worked several jobs finally saving to pay her way through University. She became a Nurse Practitioner and made sure to impolore and teach me the importance of valuing oneself. I am in my 50s now and my father is no longer on the Earth. However, there are a number of regrets i have. I wished he had taken the time to knkw me and i, the same. In his last few years on Earth, he tried to start a relationship, however i found him to be pushy as if i should devolve everything about myself. I being a person who love their privacy thought he was a tad too pushy. Plus, i found that he was a hossipmonger and sometimes shared our convetsations with other people including his wife and other children.
I hope writing your book will bring you some type of healing and i am hoping that you have completely forgave all the persons involved in 20 year saga. I would think all parties involved are older and wiser and would find some type of resolution to put this matter to rest. Please pray and ask the Almighty to heal all hearts involved and perhaps in time everyone can try and have some type of relationship before its too late. Read Matthew 6:14-15, Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13-14, Romans 12:10 and Galatians 5:14 as well as many other scriptures you can read in the Bible. If you are a Muslim, you can read the Koran where you might be able to find anything dealing with Forgiveness. I’ll be praying for you and your family, Mr Burnett. Take care and God bless you!
I hope my book will be of help.
It was a Virgin Islander who had likewise been denied contact with her father who gave me courage to fight on. As an adult she finally found him and made contact shorty before his death. She found him to be a kind person who had been wrongly denied to her as a child.
Thanks for respondin,Sir. Glad to hear that this young woman gave you the courage to fight on and hopefully, it brought some type of resolution and healing to both of you.
Apologies for my oversight in part to some of the words being misspelt and grammatical error. Unfortunately, i am presently dealing with an illness and didn’t have use of my prescription glasses. I erred by not checking before
posting what i wrote.
Third line should say weren’t allowed.
Spelling – unfortunately, implore, know, gossipmonger, conversation
Sentence should read “He found it to not
be in his best interest to look for me….”
Best wishes to you and your family.
Too many wicked disciples of Lucifer out there saying thy are parents. Roger Burnett. Hmm, just Hmm.