By: Dawda Baldeh
The speaker of the National Assembly has revealed that over fifty-three (53) bills were enacted by the House of parliament between 2017 to February 2022. Mariam Jack Denton was speaking to lawmakers during the last Ordinary Session of the Fifth Legislature.
She used the opportunity to commend the National Assembly members for their commitment to serving the country to the best of their abilities. Adding that the National Assembly has made tremendous progress in various areas in the development of the country.
The fifty-three bills include the National Human Rights Commission Act, 2017; Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission Act, 2017; Constitutional Review Commission Act, 2017; Forest Act, 2018; Maritime Zones Act, 2019; Women Enterprises Fund Act, 2020; Petroleum Commission Act, 2021; Persons with Disabilities Act, 2021; National Assembly Service Act, 2021; National Health Insurance Act, 2021, and most recently The Public Service Pensions Act, 2022.
Speaker Jack Denton further stated that Parliament during the Fifth Legislature witnessed the tabling of the Constitution (Promulgation) Bill, 2020 (in other words the CRC Draft Constitution) by the Hon. Attorney General and Minister of Justice in 2020.
However, she said the document stalled in Parliament at the Second Reading Stage. Adding that government may decide to come back to Parliament to continue the process of promulgating a new Constitution for the Republic.
She further noted that the Legislature also witnessed the tabling of three (3) Member’s Bills and enacted two of them whilst the other one tabled failed to pass through the second reading stage.
“This is unprecedented in the history of the National Assembly as only one Member’s Bill was ever introduced and passed in the National Assembly. The Parliament has also facilitated and confirmed appointments to the National Human Rights Commission, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Judicial Service Commission,” she said.
