MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands agrees on main topics of constitutional review

Attorney General Simon Young said general submissions on the Constitution were welcome but that members of the public might also want to hold fire until the committee reaches the various topics

The Falklands Islands Select Committee on the Constitutional Review has decided the order in which it is going to deal with the topics to be covered. The first issue to be looked at will be the Fundamental Rights and Freedoms chapter of the Constitution at a meeting that will possibly take place as soon as the middle of June.

But a vote had to be taken on that decision towards the end of a meeting on May 25 that had lasted for over an hour. MLA Teslyn Barkman unsuccessfully tried to persuade her colleagues that the issue of voting rights for dual nationals needed to be looked at ahead of other issues.

Attorney General Simon Young said general submissions on the Constitution were welcome but that members of the public might also want to hold fire until the committee reaches the various topics. He said there would be specific questions for each topic.

Far fewer members of the public came along to watch the second meeting in person than had turned up for the first. However, Committee Chair MLA Mark Pollard said that about 20 members of the public had already written to express their views.

MLA Pollard encouraged members of the public to continue to engage with the process.

He also said that he and his colleagues were open to suggestions about how to engage better with the public.

The AG also said that guidelines for how members of the public can give evidence in person to the Select Committee are currently being “refreshed” and will be issued shortly. However, he explained that, in the past, members of the public have been given 5 minutes to make a statement before being asked follow up questions by committee members.

Answering a question from MLA Leona Roberts, Mr. Young also said that the Select Committee could invite people to come to speak to the committee but it could not make them turn up or answer questions.

MLA Mark Pollard also said a meeting planned for June 29 would have to be rearranged but that another date, possibly in the middle of June, would be arranged instead.

Order for consideration of topics

1 - Fundamental rights and freedoms
2 - Falkland Islands Status
3 - Qualification of electors and Qualification for/Disqualification from election
4 - Role of the Legislative Assembly
5 - System of Government and Executive Council
6 - Role of the Governor
7 - Audit, scrutiny and accountability (including the Public Accounts Committee)
8 - Roles and responsibilities in defence and internal security
9 - Structure and role of the public service
10 - Structure and contents of the Constitution