Opposition files court application challenging SOEs
Published:Tuesday | March 14, 2023 | 3:48 PM
The Opposition has filed a claim challenging the Government's repeated use of states of public emergency (SOEs) to fight crime.
This was revealed by Opposition Leader Mark Golding while contributing to the Budget Debate in Parliament this afternoon.
Golding said that the opposition is seeking a declaration from the Constitutional Court that the action of the government violates the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms and is unconstitutional.
Since 2017, there have been repeated impositions of SOEs by the government.
The Opposition is against the SOEs.
Last December, Golding argued that the imposition of back-to-back SOEs was an attempt to circumvent the limits that the Constitution intended to place on the Prime Minister's powers.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has rejected the claim, while asserting that the security measure has been effective in bringing down crime.
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