Senate debates Evidence Bill

THE Senate will debate the Evidence Amendment Bill 2019 when it sits tomorrow at Tower D of the Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre from 1.30 pm. The objective of the legislation is to amend the Evidence Act to provide for the use of different identification procedures, interviews and oral admissions, special measures, the taking of evidence by video link and witness anonymity orders.

The bill requires a three-fifth’s majority for passage in the Senate (19 votes) and House of Representatives (25 votes) because it is inconsistent with sections four and five of the Constitution. In the Senate, the Government has 15 senators.

Government would require the six votes from either the six Opposition senators or the nine Independent senators to pass the bill.

To pass the bill In the House, the Government has 23 MPs and needs the support of at least two of the 18 Opposition MPs.

The House is scheduled to sit on Friday at Tower D from 1.30 pm. The House passed the Non-Profit Organisations Bill 2019 without amendments, when it sat last Friday. The Committee on State Enterprises holds s public hearing at Tower D from 10.30 am about the the operations of MIC Institute of Technology, including the performance of its technical and vocational education and programmes

On Wednesday, the Public Accounts Enterprises Committee holds a public hearing at 10 am to examine the audited accounts, balance sheets and other financial statements of the TT Creative Industries Limited (CreativeTT) for the financial years 2014 and 2015.