The Government of Anguilla has embarked on several pieces of legislation for the social protection of the children of the island. Three of them came before the House of Assembly on Tuesday, February 12, for debate and passage.
In introducing the Child Protection Bill 2018, Minister of Social Development, Mr. Evans Rogers, said: “The purpose of this Bill is to protect and promote the wellbeing of all children, and to give effect to Anguilla’s obligation concerning the wellbeing, development and protection of children. This is in terms of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.”
He pointed out that the Bill was based on the recognition to take legislative action to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and that it was the first major piece of modern legislation to be enacted in Anguilla. It will set the standard for the manner in which matters relating to children will be dealt with in the future and in the island’s courts.
Mr. Rogers presented in detail the provisions of the many clauses of the legislation, and went on: “Mr. Speaker, the schedule makes amendments to various pieces of legislation, and to repeal and amend a plethora of obsolete and derogative provisions referring to out of wedlock children as bastards.
“The amendments create a more modern framework for the grant of maternity and maintenance orders by the Magistrate, pending the enactment and implementation of full maintenance of children legislation.
“It also provides that the High Court shall be known as the Family Court Division when it exercises jurisdiction for all family matters and matters relating to children. Similarly, a family matter, or matters relating to children, will be heard in the Magistrate’s Court. That court shall have, in relation to the family matter, or matters relating to children, all the powers of a Family Court.
“This is something that is long overdue and I am sure that the Member for District 1 [Ms. Palmovan Webster] had asked when were we going to bring these child protection and status of children bills to the House of Assembly. It has taken some time but they are here before us for debate and passage.”
Minister Rogers pointed out that the Bill had been around for quite some time and that the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Bonnie Lake Richardson, and her team, had held a number of public consultations on the Bill. “They would have received a number of recommendations, amendments and concerns,” he stated. “Some of them were taken on board and discussed with the Attorney General Chambers and, later on, there will be an amendment to section 17 at the committee stage of the Bill in terms of the wording.
Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Palmovan Webster, responded that, as the Minister indicated, she had been constantly advocating for bills that would protect Anguilla’s children, and at risk youth, to be passed in the House of Assembly. “Today, Mr. Speaker, I don’t want to say I am happy. I am glad that the Government has recognized that insofar as it has not proceeded with these laws before now, it has neglected doing so,” she said. “I feel angry a little…that these matters, just like the national minimum wage, are constantly disregarded for political advantage.”
Ms. Webster recalled that within months of being elected that she had “gone to incredible lengths to engage draft persons – especially to be able to put the Family Law Guardianship Children Bill before the House.”
She spoke about three other family law bills she had discussed publicly but did not receive the support of the Government.
In addition to the Child Protection Bill, 2018, other pieces of draft legislation before the House of Assembly were: the Status of Children and the Parentage Testing Bill, 2018, and the Maintenance of Children Bill, 2018 – to receive their second and third readings.
