High Court throws out Opposition challenge to NRF Bill
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Opposition Members of Parliament attempting to steal the Speaker's Mace
JUSTICE Navindra Singh on Monday threw out the case challenging the passage of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Bill, which was filed by Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones and trade unionist Norris Witter.
The duo moved to the court in April 2022, claiming that the bill was not properly passed in the National Assembly in December 2021, owing to the absence of the parliamentary mace.
The Attorney-General, the Parliament Office, the Minister of Finance, the Speaker and the Clerk of the National Assembly are all listed as respondents.
Justice Navindra Singh
In his ruling, Justice Singh said that the “absence of the Mace in the National Assembly during the passage of the NRF did not invalidate the subsequent passage of the NRF.”
“The presence of the mace in the National Assembly is not mandated by the Constitution or the Laws of Guyana and therefore its absence cannot result in the passage of the Bill being unconstitutional or unlawful,” he said in his ruling.
The claim was dismissed in its entirety with costs in the sum of $250,000 to each defendant.
Attorney-General Anil Nandlall, S.C
The Guyana Chronicle had previously reported that on December 29, 2021, in a bid to defend the landmark bill, which has since been assented to by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, was interrupted by what was referred to as the unparliamentary actions of members of the Opposition.
The second reading of the bill was objected to by Jones, who requested that it be sent to a special select committee.
However, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, indicated his preference for listening to arguments from both sides before determining whether or not the bill should be sent to a select committee.
Minister Singh then took to the podium, but his presentation was interrupted by members of the APNU+AFC Opposition, who kept banging their desks and chanting demeaning words about the Bill.
After they failed to prevent Minister Singh from speaking, Opposition Parliamentarian Annette Ferguson attempted to remove the mace, but was unsuccessful.
Trade Unionist Norris Witter
Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones
This unprecedented act was foiled by Nadir’s personal assistant, who held the instrument tightly as he laid on the floor of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
However, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, indicated his preference for listening to arguments from both sides before determining whether or not the bill should be sent to a select committee.
Minister Singh then took to the podium, but his presentation was interrupted by members of the APNU+AFC Opposition, who kept banging their desks and chanting demeaning words about the Bill.
After they failed to prevent Minister Singh from speaking, Opposition Parliamentarian Annette Ferguson attempted to remove the mace, but was unsuccessful.
This unprecedented act was foiled by Nadir’s personal assistant, who held the instrument tightly as he laid on the floor of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
Jones and Witter, who is the President of the General Workers Union, through their attorneys Roysdale Forde, S.C, and Selwyn Pieters, are seeking judicial review and relief under the Constitution.
https://guyanachronicle.com/2023/06/19/high-court-throws-out-opposition-challenge-to-nrf-bill/
