Rabuka said the submissions would be examined. [PICTURE:SUPPLIED]
The proposed constitutional immunity provisions will face further scrutiny before the Constitution Amendment Bill returns to Parliament, says Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
He assured public concerns must be weighed against arguments for retaining the protections.
Closing public consultations at Girmit Hall in Lautoka, Rabuka said the Special Parliamentary Committee had heard a wide range of views, particularly on retaining immunity and extending it to more people.
“We’re very interested in the wide range of views, particularly the expression of your views on the retention of the immunity provisions and the restructuring of the wordings to include more people than you knew before. Those will be subject to further scrutiny by the committee but we are also guided by what the Supreme Court had opined in the advisory opinion which they gave in response to the question referred to them by Cabinet. But all in all, we have a wide range of concerns that have come up to us. We appreciate and we are very thankful to those that have complimented us.”
Rabuka said the submissions would be examined alongside the Supreme Court’s advisory opinion, which was sought by Cabinet.
He said stability was one reason for retaining immunity in the draft Bill, but the committee must now decide whether the provisions should remain.
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“Nothing recommended becomes law until it is enacted by Parliament.”
Rabuka acknowledged differences between the Constitution Review Committee’s recommendations and the proposed amendments. He stressed that recommendations do not become law until Parliament enacts them.
The consultation also raised concerns about child protection, religious freedom, the proposed Senate and the time allowed for public participation.