No reason yet for ethnic tribunal- Teixeira

Last Updated on Monday, 3 February 2025, 18:30 by Writer

The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has never had a tribunal and none would be set up unless there is a case to be adjudicated, Governance Minister Gail Teixeira said Monday.

She told the Committee of Supply during its consideration of the 2025 budgetary estimates that it would make no sense to establish a tribunal if it does not have any work to do. “It’s triggered when there are cases to be referred to a tribunal. My understanding is that no case of the ERC, since its formation, has ever required that a tribunal now take up and hold court and review it and s0 there has been no urgency to develop that because it would be a tribunal sitting doing nothing,” she said in response to questions by APNU+AFC parliamentarian Catherine Hughes.

Ms Hughes said he was informed during a meeting with the ERC that it was “unable to investigate some situations to the level because the tribunal did not exist”. She wanted a timeframe within which a tribunal would be established to allow the ERC to “effectively” do its job.

However, Ms Teixeira disagreed that the adjudicating body was necessary. “The Tribunal members have nothing to do with the ERC,” she said. She explained that investigations are done by the ERC, police or the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). “Under the ERC Act, the Tribunal has no role to play with investigation; absolutely none. I think that whoever told you that at the commission is misguided,” the minister said.

After Ms Hughes pressed on about when a tribunal would be established rather than waiting for a need to arise, the Governance Minister said the ERC could take a case to the Constitutional Court and go to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

Meanwhile, the Governance Minister told APNU+AFC parliamentarian, Natasha Singh-Lewis that no case had been submitted to the Human Rights Commission because that body had no chairman. Instead, it has a secretariat and the chairmen from the other rights commissions. The minister said four matters were sent to the DPP.