00:00This bill seeks to address that current limitation of the existing framework by introducing what is called split sentencing.
00:09Justice Minister Devesh Maraj has depiloted 2026 amendments to the probation of offenders act in the Senate.
00:16If you have a full term, a custodial term of six years, you can serve a three-year custodial term,
00:24come back out into society for another three years on a probation order subject to certain conditions.
00:34The Justice Minister said there were certain applications before the Mercy Committee since 2018.
00:40If somebody commits minor offenses, and for them, they want to get a job, they want to go away, they
00:47want to apply for a visa, they want to go to Guyana to work in the oil and gas.
00:52This thing comes up on your certificate of character when you go to the police, and you're taking so long.
00:58I mean, we're also taking steps to expedite that process in the Mercy Committee.
01:02What I'm saying, Mr. President, inbuilt in here, is that once you complete it, you can get your records sealed,
01:10and your character is written.
01:15Opposition Senator and former Attorney General Faris al-Rawi later told the Senate, because of a Privy Council ruling, the
01:23Mercy Committee must hear such applications on an individual basis.
01:27Really and truly, this is a commendable amendment to Section 15 of the Act, where we're potentially having the order
01:33sealed.
01:34But really, if we want to get to a further step, knowing how complicated it is, a direction from the
01:41court not only that the matter be sealed, but that it be expunged, maybe in order, in the interest of
01:50justice.
01:50The Justice Minister had earlier spoke about pending bills by the UNC-led government for justice system reform.
01:58We have the Civil Records and Offenders Bill, which will seek to expunge sentences, Mr. President, that are on the
02:08record of certain offenders, to give persons and offenders a second chance, a clean shot, a second chance.
02:17We, in this government, Mr. Speaker, recognize that this is a country that we give second chances.
02:25We are a compassionate government, Mr. President.
02:29The Justice Minister said the bill before the Senate on Tuesday allows the court to rule that a probationer must
02:36participate in community service, wear an electronic monitoring device, and adhere to any curfew imposed by the court.
02:43We are saying we are giving you a chance, a second chance, come back out into society, do your rehabilitation,
02:51and you get a pass to come back out.
02:58If not, the court will once more intervene, and then you will have to serve that term inside.
03:05Senator Alwari spoke about work he did while he served as attorney general during the former PNM administration.
03:12It's one of the amendments I sent to the Law Reform Commission that they ought to include a register, a
03:19national register of probationers, which is a private register, not available to the public,
03:28so that the police at any point in time, with the commission of police in charge of the national probation
03:34register, that the commission of police would know in any district who is on probation or not.
03:40The Senate's debate of the bill continues.
03:43Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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