Chairman of the Constitutional Reform Commission, Justice (retd) Christopher Blackman, is urging Barbadians to participate in the upcoming public meetings, and make suggestions for inclusion in the new Constitution of Barbados. Blackman made the comments ahead of the first meeting, which will be held on Sunday, October 16, at The St. Michael School, Martindales Road, St Michael, from 5 to 8 p.m. The Chairman said: “The meetings will provide an …
A retired Human Resources management official who was responsible for employee matters at the prestigious Sandy Lane Hotel admitted to the Employment Rights Tribunal (ERT) on Thursday that the company breached the legislative procedures for disciplining employees when it fired laundry supervisor Alfred Branch forthwith in February 2014.Then Assistant Director of Human Resources Winifred Williams also agreed with Branch’s attorney Rhea Cheltenham that Sandy Lane even breached its own internal disciplinary procedure with regard to an earlier matter concerning the former employee.Williams testimony before the ERT came during a 45-minute cross-examination by Branch’s lawyer as the unfair dismissal hearing continued virtually today before the panel of commissioners chaired by former High Court and Court of Appeal judge, Christopher Blackman. Trade unionist Frederick Forde and HR professional Deighton Marshall, are the other two commissioners hearing the matter.
Queen’s Counsel Garth Patterson wants the newly installed Constitutional Reform Committee to initiate public discourse on social and political areas of the Constitution. They include the right to vote, property rights, the uncertainty surrounding the capital punishment of hanging as well as the now topical abortion rights which Patterson said are serious social and political matters that require public feedback and a strengthening of the relevant laws. He has been …
The ten Barbadians who will jointly chart a new path that will lead to a new Constitution were sworn in early this morning at State House. Acting President of Barbados, Reverend Jeffrey Gibson first swore in Chairman of the Constitutional Review Commission, retired Court of Appeal Judge, Christopher Blackman. The retired jurist, followed by former Attorney General, Adriel Brathwaite; former president of the Senate, Kerryann Ifill; attorneys-at-law Gregory Nicholls and …
Questions are being raised about the value of the new Charter of Barbados.The matter came up during an online townhall meeting on Sunday evening, titled Constitutional Reform and the Republic: Perspectives of the Youth and hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences at The University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus.Retired High Court judge Christopher Blackman was among those who shared their thoughts on the non-justiciability of the document that was approved by Parliament in November last year, less than a week before Barbados’ transition to a republic.The Charter of Barbados, while not legally binding, outlines citizens’ rights and responsibilities. It is premised on five articles, the first of which states that all Barbadians are born free and are equal in human dignity and rights.