TO bring the country on par with its CARICOM sister states, the Government of Guyana will be moving to establish a Witness Protection Programme through enactment of the Witness Protection Bill, 2015.It is anticipated that the Bill will soon be placed before the National Assembly after being reviewed by a sub-committee at the level of Cabinet.

Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman made this disclosure yesterday while addressing the press at the Ministry of the Presidency. It was explained that with the enactment of the bill, a Witness Protection Programme will be established for the protection of witnesses who give evidence in the courts of Guyana. “The legislation would ensure protection of witnesses and their families against intimidation and or physical harm during and after their involvement in court proceedings,” Minister Trotman said.
Protection for state witnesses in criminal matters here has been a thorny issue over the years. This had come into sharp focus when a number of high-profile murder cases collapsed because of the lack of witnesses.

Safe Houses, New Identities

Trotman said the bill will include several measures such as the establishment of safe houses, granting assistance to participants and the provision of new identities where necessary. According to the minister, the Witness Protection Bill which will subsequently lead to the development of the Witness Protection Programme forms part of a CARICOM crime security initiative. It was pointed out that Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica have already been collaborating in the area of witness protection by facilitating the movement of witnesses before, during and after trials. Barbados is also participating in the process, but to a lesser extent.

As such, the enactment of this bill would allow Guyana to enter into that existing framework. “I have no doubt that Guyana would avail itself of the opportunity to do so…but it is a CARICOM initiative and Guyana is now coming on stream,” the government minister noted. To ensure an effective roll-out of this initiative, the country would be turning to its international partners such as the United States and the United Kingdom for financial and technical support.

Trotman pointed out that in addition to the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative which is being financed by the U.S., UK Prime Minister David Cameron during his recent visit to Jamaica committed £300m to fund a number of initiatives, inclusive of security projects and programmes.
Tobacco Control Bill
Though the Witness Protection Bill is before the sub-committee as a matter of policy, it has already received the approval of Cabinet. In addition to this Bill, the Tobacco Control Bill 2015 is also being reviewed by the sub-committee.

“The Tobacco Control Bill will provide the adoption and implementation of tobacco control policies in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control,” the Minister of Governance explained.

He said it aims at protecting present and future generations from the negative effects of tobacco use, and exposure from tobacco smoke. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco (WHO FCTC) is the first international treaty negotiated under the auspices of the health organisation.

It dates back to May 2003, when it was adopted by the World Health Assembly; however, it was only entered into force in February, 2005. According to the WHO, “it has since become one of the most rapidly and widely embraced treaties in the United Nations history.”

According to the WHO: “The FCTC was developed in response to the globalisation of the tobacco epidemic and is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health.
The Convention represents a milestone for the promotion of public health and provides new legal dimensions for international health cooperation.”

By Svetlana Marshall