MANY approved bills were never implemented, the leader of opposition said in Parliament on Wednesday.
Speaking during the second reading of the ‘Magistrates’ Courts (Amendment) Bill 2014’, Dr Derek Sikua urged the Ministry of Justice to ensure funds are ready to implement the Bill.
“I think that would be one of the things that I would like to ask the Minister and his Ministry to ensure first of all that the funds are made available for us to introduce those changes.
“Usually we just approve such Bills and not been able to operationalize the Bills because the money does not go with what Parliament has approved,” Dr Sikua said after the Justice Minister introduced the Bill.
The Amendment Bill is one of the two that seeks to allow for the sound recording of evidence in the magistrates courts. The other Bill is the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment Bill) 2014.
The opposition leader the changes also comes with cost, therefore funds to materialize the changes must be ready.
“I think this is a move in a right direction as times have changed and therefore we must change accordingly to the times as you know, with these changes that we want to introduce to the Magistrates Court also come with their inherent costs.
“And with that also comes the need for people who will use those new technologies to be trained.
“I think that would be one of the things that I would like to ask the Minister and his Ministry to ensure first of all that the funds are made available for us to introduce those changes.”
Dr Sikua urged the Justice Minister to make sure financial resources are made available to purchase the necessary recording equipments.
“So I am along with the recommendations of the Bills and Legislation Committee urging the Ministry to make all the necessary resources and the training available for us to enable these things to happen quickly.”
He added that introduction of new technologies to the court system also needs to go down to the lower courts.
“If possible where practical we should go down to our Local Courts. And also the lower courts out in the provinces when Magistrates go and hear cases in the Local Courts in our provincial headquarters that these equipment and machines be made available to them in Gizo, Auki, Kirakira and wherever they hear cases, not only here in Honiara.”
By EDNAL PALMER
