Barbados now has a commission in place, tasked with reviewing the processes and procedures of Parliament to make them more relevant to a modern society.On Monday, eight members of the Parliamentary Reform Commission were sworn in at State House by acting President The Very Reverend Dr Jeffrey Gibson.Former President of the Senate Sir Richard Cheltenham, King’s Counsel, heads the panel as chairman and his deputy is veteran trade unionist Sir Roy Trotman. The other members are Ambassador Elizabeth Thompson; noted cardiologist Dr Richard Ishmael; historian and attorney-at-law Professor Velma Newton; columnist Dr William Chandler Jr; former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade under the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Maxine McClean andCorey Beckles of the former Opposition People’s Party for Democracy and Development.After the oaths were administered, deputy Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw acknowledged the importance of the development.“This is the culmination of several discussions which we’ve had as a government in being able to appoint these individuals to be able to undertake some very important work for the government, which is the reform of Parliament. I think the last time that we would have had any significant reforms was back in the early 1970’s, when we would have made a transition to single-member constituencies.“I think we all recognise that in this age, where persons want to perhaps understand and appreciate more of what we’re doing in Parliament, the institutions which would have served us several decades ago can no longer serve this country as such,” she said. “They’ve already started some of their work. We’re hoping that within the next few months, that work will be concluded.”