WITH A NUMBER of Independent Senators and the Opposition objecting, the Barbados Senate today passed the Evidence Act, 2015.
The major complaint against the legislation that includes a series of amendments to the 1994 Evidence Act was that it abridged an accused person’s long-held right to silence under “official questioning” by the police.
However, debate resumed on the matter this morning following the Christmas recess, Leader of Government Business in the Senate Maxine McClean and Minister of Labour Senator Dr Esther Byer asserted that the right to silence had not been curtailed, with McClean saying that “there is no risk to the right to silence”.
Independent Senator and former union leader Sir Roy Trotman was one of those voting against the legislation. Ten Government senators voted yes, one Opposition senator and two Independent senators voted no and two Independent senators abstained. (TY)