Opposition boycotts latest Constitutional Reform Committee consultation

The parliamentary Opposition has started its protest of the Government's move to raise the retirement age for the director of public prosecutions and the auditor general, snubbing today's consultations by the reform committee examining changes to the Jamaican constitution.

The party also plans to skip tomorrow's activities.

“As you have seen we have already taken action by deciding not to participate in the events that were scheduled for today and tomorrow," Opposition Leader Mark Golding said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

"I think the whole bypassing of that process, the ramming through parliament of an amendment to the Constitution without any form of consultation with the people, the committee or even the Opposition, has really undermined the integrity of the reform process,” he continued.

The amendment of section 96(1) and 121(1) of the Constitution raises the age of retirement for the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and Auditor General from age 60 to 65 years.

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck in bringing the amendment on Tuesday, cited the Pension's Act of 2017 which raised the age of retirement from 60 to 65 years in the public sector as the yardstick for the amendment.

The Opposition had stated on Tuesday that it's continued participation in the Constitutional Reform Committee would be impacted if the Government went through with the revision.

“We will be reviewing our role on that committee but no final decision has yet been taken,” Golding said on Wednesday.

Anthony Hylton, who along with Donna Scott Mottley is a member of the committee, said he felt compromised as a member of the committee, as they were not consulted.

He said it would be uncomfortable to defend the amendment given what he described as the disrespect shown to both the committee and the Opposition.

- Erica Virtue

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