Tuesday, March 4, 2025
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
ALMOST two years after Parliament approved the establishment of a Human Rights Committee, its members met for the first time on February 27.
According to a statement from the Office of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Legal Affairs, committee members received a comprehensive briefing on The Bahamas’ international human rights obligations during the meeting.
The statement also noted that the committee will initially meet twice a month to discuss various aspects of human rights protections.
Parliament’s chief clerk, David Forbes, previously told The Tribune that the committee had not yet met, but was expected to convene by the end of January.
The resolution establishing the committee was passed on April 26, 2023.
It is chaired by Attorney General Ryan Pinder, with Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis serving as deputy chair. Other members include Senator Erecia Hepburn-Forbes, Works Minister Clay Sweeting, Seabreeze MP Leslia Miller-Brice, Golden Gates MP Pia Glover-Rolle, East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson, and St Anne’s MP Adrian White.
The committee will play a critical role in advising the government on human rights matters, ensuring that legislation aligns with international obligations, and providing oversight on policies affecting fundamental rights, according to the statement.
Shortly after the resolution passed, Mr Pinder led a delegation to Geneva, Switzerland, for the United Nations Human Rights Council’s review of The Bahamas’ human rights record.
The statement from the Attorney General’s Office said the committee’s establishment demonstrates the country’s commitment to protecting human rights, promoting legislative accountability, and fostering a fair society.
“This milestone marks a bold step forward in strengthening the nation’s legal framework and upholding the principles of democracy and human dignity,” the statement added.
Comments
ExposedU2C says...
> It is chaired by Attorney General Ryan Pinder, with Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis serving as deputy chair. Other members include Senator Erecia Hepburn-Forbes, Works Minister Clay Sweeting, Seabreeze MP Leslia Miller-Brice, East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson, and St Anne’s MP Adrian White.
Talk about a bunch of useless political appointees!
Each of the Human Rights Committee members named above should be made to spend a week in Fox Hill Prison playing the role of an inmate in order to fully sensitize them to the gravest of human rights abuses in our country today. The worst gulags in Russia and China seem like country clubs compared to our notorious Fox Hill Prison.
Posted 4 March 2025, 12:37 p.m. Suggest removal
bogart says...
Excellent idea to have the members of the Human Rights Committee to spend a week in the Fox Hill Prison to fully grasp and understand the naked reality the many imprisoned are confined.
The continued repeated results that whatever continues to exist is not working to rehabilitate the majority of inmates who upon release create more criminal deeds at enormous expenses to nation, victims of crime, more police, more courts etcetcetc and again go back to prison.
It is about time the the Committee really and truly spend a week's time in Fox Hill Prison to fully understand the situations they are dealing with to improve, and from stories of what goes on it is not like being sent to Boarding School confines abroad to study for your Ordinary and Advanced Levels of Education.
Posted 4 March 2025, 2:31 p.m. Suggest removal
Porcupine says...
Why does The Bahamas, a country of 400,00 people, the size of a city, spend so much money on political delegations to travel the world?
While the vast majority of this country's population lives near poverty.
One might suggest that a thinking individual would view access to reliable fresh water, reliable electricity, decent internet and phone access, freedom from violent crime, acceptable education, fair taxation, responsible financial behaviour, and a number of other issues which this government cannot seem to get a handle on, perhaps not even understand, would fall under the category of human rights, as well.
Our government officials, from top to bottom, appear to have absolutely no concern for the Bahamian people.
Posted 5 March 2025, 7:35 a.m. Suggest removal
ExposedU2C says...
Easy answer to your question:
These corrupt and incompetent politicians can't stomach the stench and hardships of the shiit-hole nation they have created for us through waste, fraud and abuse so they lavishly and opulently travel abroad as much as they can to get away from it all at our great expense as taxpayers.
Posted 5 March 2025, 10:08 a.m. Suggest removal
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