THE two Bills tabled by Government Civil Law (Rights of Persons in Common Law Union) Bill 2012 and the Official Gazette Bill 2012, were laid at the last sitting of the National Assembly; both are scheduled for second reading at the next sitting. Speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday, Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) Dr. Roger Luncheon said the impact of both pieces of legislation are profound and provides services to Guyanese.
The Common-Law Union Bill is advancing existing social policy with the intention of curing gender-insensitivity at best and gender-bias at worse with regards to the disposal of assets.
On July 5, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall convened a meeting with relevant stakeholders; giving them the opportunity to share their views and seek clarifications with regards to the provisions of the Bill.
This Bill came in light of the fact that at present, the existing legislation does not allow for a spouse of a common law union whose partner has died, to approach court to seek entitlement to the decease’s estate in the absence of a will.
While the Official Gazette Bill, provides for an E-version of the gazette, which makes notices more easily accessible.
This is consistent with the Parliamentary intent which was defined in the Ninth Parliament, when the hard copies were to be distributed across the length and breadth of Guyana, particularly in the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) offices and other government facilities.
He stated that the issue of budget cuts and its effects continues to engage the attention of the Cabinet.
“Because of the budget cuts, Cabinet was reminded that the Administration remained unable to meet its contractual and its statutory obligations to employees to the Office of the President and other affected agencies…Cabinet remained uncertain on how the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) failed to meet the tests of the Opposition,” the HPS said.
Additionally, on the next Parliament sitting on July 12, the House would be recognising two outstanding, long-serving former Members of Parliament and well-known public personalities, Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud (41 years of service) and former Opposition Leader,  Robert Corbin (38 years of service).