News / National
Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Bill amended
20 Sep 2011 at 01:01hrs | Views
Patrick Chinamasa, the Justice and Legal Affairs Minister has made amendments to some of the contentious provisions of the Human Rights Commission Bill to address concerns raised by stakeholders, The Herald reported on Tuesday.
The amendments are expected to pave way for the smooth sailing of the Bill in Parliament, and see the operationalisation of the Human Rights Commission whose functions had been stalled by the absence of the enabling legislation.
The Parliamentary Legal Committee and the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs had raised a number of issues which they felt ought to be addressed before the Bill could be passed.
And Minister Chinamasa has obliged by making some amendments, which would be tabled in the House of Assembly at committee stage when the House resumes sitting today.
Chairman of the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Douglas Mwonzora, welcomed the amendments, saying what Minister Chinamasa had done was a good sign of responsiveness.
Notable amendments made by Minister Chinamasa include Clause Nine, which deals with jurisdiction of the Human Rights Commission.
The Minister has deleted a clause which restricts people legible to be aggrieved persons and qualify to make a complaint to be Zimbabwean citizens alone.
Visitors and residents will now be able to lodge human rights complaints.
During the second reading stage of the Bill, Mr Mwonzora had indicated that excluding non-Zimbabweans from raising complaints was unfair as some people might have left their countries in a huff, requiring refuge status in Zimbabwe.
Another amendment is on Clause Two, which now broadens the definition of human rights violation by removing the requirement that the Commission can only investigate a violation on international human rights instrument provided that the law domesticating it bestows jurisdiction on the commission to entertain such complaints.
Clause Six was also amended and reads as follows: "In order for a person to be appointed as Executive Secretary of the Commission, (a) he or she must be qualified to be appointed as a Judge of the High or
Supreme Court, (b) have a graduate or postgraduate qualification in human rights law or humanitarian law or related discipline."
Mr Mwonzora said they felt that the prescription period of how long a complaint can be raised needed to be considered seriously.
Under the Bill, a person should submit a complaint of human rights violation within three years, but the committee felt that there was need to extend the period.
Some of the concerns the portfolio committee felt ought to be addressed were the powers of the responsible minister, which they felt were too excessive.
Minister Chinamasa indicated when he tabled the Bill last month that he had taken considerably long to bring it before the House because of some contentious issues.
The issues were finally resolved through the involvement of negotiators to the Global Political Agreement, he said.
The amendments are expected to pave way for the smooth sailing of the Bill in Parliament, and see the operationalisation of the Human Rights Commission whose functions had been stalled by the absence of the enabling legislation.
The Parliamentary Legal Committee and the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs had raised a number of issues which they felt ought to be addressed before the Bill could be passed.
And Minister Chinamasa has obliged by making some amendments, which would be tabled in the House of Assembly at committee stage when the House resumes sitting today.
Chairman of the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Douglas Mwonzora, welcomed the amendments, saying what Minister Chinamasa had done was a good sign of responsiveness.
Notable amendments made by Minister Chinamasa include Clause Nine, which deals with jurisdiction of the Human Rights Commission.
Visitors and residents will now be able to lodge human rights complaints.
During the second reading stage of the Bill, Mr Mwonzora had indicated that excluding non-Zimbabweans from raising complaints was unfair as some people might have left their countries in a huff, requiring refuge status in Zimbabwe.
Another amendment is on Clause Two, which now broadens the definition of human rights violation by removing the requirement that the Commission can only investigate a violation on international human rights instrument provided that the law domesticating it bestows jurisdiction on the commission to entertain such complaints.
Clause Six was also amended and reads as follows: "In order for a person to be appointed as Executive Secretary of the Commission, (a) he or she must be qualified to be appointed as a Judge of the High or
Supreme Court, (b) have a graduate or postgraduate qualification in human rights law or humanitarian law or related discipline."
Mr Mwonzora said they felt that the prescription period of how long a complaint can be raised needed to be considered seriously.
Under the Bill, a person should submit a complaint of human rights violation within three years, but the committee felt that there was need to extend the period.
Some of the concerns the portfolio committee felt ought to be addressed were the powers of the responsible minister, which they felt were too excessive.
Minister Chinamasa indicated when he tabled the Bill last month that he had taken considerably long to bring it before the House because of some contentious issues.
The issues were finally resolved through the involvement of negotiators to the Global Political Agreement, he said.
Source - TH
