Thorough investigation needed for bills not given governor’s assent
Opposition legislator Julian Fraser wants an investigation into the number of bills that were not granted assent by BVI governors after being passed in the House of Assembly.
A governor must ratify all bills passed in the HOA before they can come into effect.
Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday, Fraser said: “A thorough investigation needs to be had or carried out in order to determine all those bills that have not been assented to, that we passed in this House.”
According to Premier Andrew Fahie, there are three bills put forward by his administration that are still awaiting assent from the governor.
He said there may be other bills that were left without assent from previous governments but he could not say with any degree of certainty.
Premier Fahie said he would endeavour to do additional research to determine how many more Acts remain without assent.
Meanwhile, the three known bills awaiting assent are the Cannabis Licensing Act, the amended Drug Prevention & Misuse Act, and the Disaster Management Act. These three bills have not found favour with either the immediate past governor, Augustus Jaspert and current governor, John Rankin.
One of the bills — the Disaster Management Act — was denied assent because amendments to the bill infringed on the governor’s constitutional responsibility, the Premier said.
Premier Fahie related that the other two bills were sent to the UK’s Foreign Secretary – a first in the territory’s history – after they were flagged for various concerns. Discussions remain ongoing on these issues.
According to the Premier, all the necessary legwork – legal and otherwise – was done before the bills were sent to the HOA and the bills were thoroughly vetted when they came up for debate.
And noting that the bills in question spanned two different attorneys general, Premier Fahie said: “All the green lights were given that they were not violating any constitutional powers nor were they violating any international regulations or anything at all.”
The Premier said if the House of Assembly is operating within the necessary legal parameters when passing bills but concerns remain about the frequency with which governors withhold their assent, then the House will need to address the issue.
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So how much has the government made off the assented gambling law? How many jobs created?
what about the wall-up spooners for the elderly home, how much millions went into that project yet not even a single floor for the old people to sleep in. COI needed
…These people can’t sit quiet. Does he really think the Brits care at this point of anything these c**oks have to say. Hurry back Sir Gary. We need you and we want you, This nightmare with this lot needs to stop.
One of the big issues that plagues the BVI is badly drafted and ill thought out legislation that gets dealt with all on one day, instead of over enough time to allow proper and effective scrutiny by people that understand the issues. Bills have 3 readings to allow that scrutiny. If you do 3 readings in one day that process can’t work and so you get bad legislation. That is probably a big part of why the bills haven’t been assented to by the Governor.
The Governor’s assent to a bill is the final step to it becoming law. In the UK, the Crown also has to assent to a bill before it can become law. However, supposedly the last bill that was refused assent by the Sovereign was the Scottish Militia Bill during Queen Anne’s reign in 1708. Once a bill is presented, the following actions can be taken: 1. bill is assented ( becomes law), 2. delay bill’s assent through use of reserve power(pocket veto) and 3.refuse assent on advice of advisors.
Moreover, under the VI constitution (2007), every four years voters go to polls to elect 13 members( 9 District Reps , 4 At Large) to the HOA to represent them, including passing bills. Bills passed by the people’s representatives in the duly elected HOA should be assented go as bills are always assented to in the UK. In this instance, what is good for the UK should be good for the VI. Personal beliefs or desires should not trump the wishes of the majority of people in a democracy.
In regards to assenting to or not assenting to bills, the Governor seems to have supreme and ultimate power to thwart the will of the HOA and the people. A process is needed to seek redress to the Governor’s refusal to assent bills. Another item for the next constitutional review.
Just wondering…are these Bills the will of the people or the wishes of the some HOA members..Remember, not all members support the bills nor do all reflect the wishes of the people.
Point to note as well is that in a democracy, no one including the Governor should be a rubber stamp.
How i know bvinews has biased bloggers with a UK agenda? If this was a knock on the bvi government it would have so many bloggers spewing negativity.
But because it is a knock on the UK .. pure silence… F Yall fake aganda pursuing bloggers.
We also need a thorough investigation of the Sea cows bay harbor project. Take several seats
Has arisen from his slumber , Trump could of use a couple of you HYPOCRITES
No investigation is necessary. This is just BS remarks from the member. It can be addressed simply by dialogue with the Governors office.
Furthermore the Governor has the constitutional responsibility to assent or reject. Moreover, as a BOT, the Governor consults with the UK seeking guidance etc. Thus, certain bills flagged will not be assented to unless the substantial issues are addressed/corrected.
Not because a bill is passed by the House it means that it’s the will of the people or it’s favored the members.
The BVI needs to shed the stiffling blight of colonialism and steer its own ship and become controllers of its own destiny.
You know the Europeans and the house negroes would not like or are ready to commence on such a journey.
So, here is soething that might interest you and a few like minds:
24 MILLION STRONG NOW IN THE WHIRLWIND… ON THE B’EARTHDAY OF THE MOST HONORABLE MARCUS GARVEY, LET US ADVANCE WITH AT LEAST 24 MILLION COMMITTED AFRICANS TO “HAIL UNITED STATES OF AFRICA” BY 2024.
Indeed, with Africans and Africa in an emergency state of recolonization, let’s not forget our greatest of Ancestors like the Marcus Garvey who dared and declared in 1924 that we “Hail United States of Africa”.
Great Ancestors like President Kwame Nkrumah followed by affirming that “Africa is one continent, one people and one nation”… and similarly HIM Selassie who further reaffirmed that “Africa is our Nation” and warned our invaders that “We Africans will fight if necessary”. Indeed, we will at this moment defeat the traitors and their masters and build ye our Union Government.
Therefore, today on Garvey b’earthday August 17, 2021 and thru Nkrumah b’earthday on September 21, 2021, we are calling for millions of Africans in Africa and its diaspora to commit to totally liberate African people in our Pan African Government… even to fight if and when necessary.
We in this generation must now be most determined to finish the African World Revolution fight to “Hail United States of Africa”… a Pan African Super-State to protect, power and promote our people into eternity. FAMILY, FOR THE CAMPAIGN 2024 PAN AFRICAN WORLD WHIRLWIND REVOLUTION, WE NEED 24 MILLION AFRICANS FROM EACH OF THE AFRICA 6 SUB-REGIONS TO SUPPORT A PAN AFRICAN FORCE WITH UBUNTU OF 24 MILLION WHO WILL RISE AND REVIVE OUR UNION GOVERNMENT BY ALL MEANS — 2024
you seems to know a lot of our African ancestors history ? so can we get the REAL AFRICAN HISTORY FROM THE BEGINING
HONESTLY SPEAKING /\\_ we have heard of all the ATROCITIES that went on during the journey and and after , but you so called historians are leaving out the the first chapter ( very strange ) but yet some talking ( REPARATION ) and why isn’t it taught in schools ?