UPP still working on Constitutional Reform, CCJ document

The opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) said it was unable to meet its own deadline to submit recommendations to government on Constitutional Reform, which would include issues such as the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
However, the Leader of the Opposition, Baldwin Spencer, gave the assurance that this will be done as the party continues to discuss the Constitution with its lawyers.
“We are working on it; we have a number of lawyers within the UPP and outside of that we have a number of individuals formulating the document to make sure our response covers all the salient and relevant areas so that there would be no doubt as to what exactly the party’s position is with respect to the reform and the CCJ,” Spencer said.
He added that the party intends to complete the proposal and submit it to the Gaston Browne-led administration by next Tuesday.
Last week, the UPP said it would have submitted the document earlier this week.
Spencer said this issue could have been resolved more than a year ago if, according to him, the government did not go back on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in August 2015.
 “But, what proceeded to happen after that MOU was that they decided they were just dealing with the CCJ and when we realised what was happening, we wrote and our position was dismissed. That was what created the problem,” he said.
Spencer said it would be unwise to proceed with only with the CCJ because the populace does not seem enthusiastic about the switch from the London-based Privy Council to the Trinidad-based CCJ.
 
(More in today’s Daily Observer)