Govt to launch public consultations on same sex union, corporal and capital punishments

The government is to hold public consultations on the decriminalisation of same sex unions and the abolition of capital and corporal punishments this year as part of Guyana’s commitment to several human rights conventions.
This was announced by Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon on Wednesday at his weekly post-Cabinet news briefing where he presented an update on Guyana’s status on commitments made at the Universal Periodic Review in 2010.
The matters were considered at Cabinet’s sub-committee on governance which provided recommendations to the wider body. “For corporal punishment Cabinet adopted the recommendation … calling for public consultations organised by Minister of Education Priya Manickchand and those consultations would take place in the broader context of consultation that would continue on the draft Education Bill 2012,” Dr. Luncheon said.
As it relates to capital punishment, he stated that they were split on the matter and it was recalled that legislative interventions during President Bharrat Jagdeo’s tenure had rejected abolition of the death penalty in favour of offering other penalties for some defined categories of murder.  “In that context Cabinet now decided to appoint the Minister of Home Affairs to organise the promised public consultations involving stakeholders and dealing with the matter of capital punishment.
“Presidential Advisor on Governance Ms. Gail Teixeira would take charge of public consultations on decriminalising same sex unions. That was the one recommendation offered by the Cabinet sub-committee that considered the matter that enjoyed the support of Cabinet,” the Cabinet Secretary said.
He admitted that he could not be specific on the timeframes for the consultations but noted that they had committed in 2010 to report back on their positions this year.
“So we have the remaining months of this year to conclude the consultations, summarise what comes from these consultations and to present those findings as they are grouped and formulated as the State’s policy on these three matters.”
Questioned about why the consultations were not done before the Cabinet Secretary pointed out that there was “a bigger consultation” last year – a reference to the general and regional elections – but added that he believed there was adequate time to deal with the issues.
Corporal punishment in schools is only to be administered by head teachers or those they designate while the criminalisation of same sex unions and the death penalty are holdovers from colonial days. The last hanging was carried out in the late 1990s.
The government is to hold public consultations on the decriminalisation of same sex unions and the abolition of capital and corporal punishments this year as part of Guyana’s commitment to several human rights conventions.This was announced by Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon on Wednesday at his weekly post-Cabinet news briefing where he presented an update on Guyana’s status on commitments made at the Universal Periodic Review in 2010.The matters were considered at Cabinet’s sub-committee on governance which provided recommendations to the wider body. “For corporal punishment Cabinet adopted the recommendation … calling for public consultations organised by Minister of Education Priya Manickchand and those consultations would take place in the broader context of consultation that would continue on the draft Education Bill 2012,” Dr. Luncheon said.As it relates to capital punishment, he stated that they were split on the matter and it was recalled that legislative interventions during President Bharrat Jagdeo’s tenure had rejected abolition of the death penalty in favour of offering other penalties for some defined categories of murder.  “In that context Cabinet now decided to appoint the Minister of Home Affairs to organise the promised public consultations involving stakeholders and dealing with the matter of capital punishment. “Presidential Advisor on Governance Ms. Gail Teixeira would take charge of public consultations on decriminalising same sex unions. That was the one recommendation offered by the Cabinet sub-committee that considered the matter that enjoyed the support of Cabinet,” the Cabinet Secretary said.He admitted that he could not be specific on the timeframes for the consultations but noted that they had committed in 2010 to report back on their positions this year.“So we have the remaining months of this year to conclude the consultations, summarise what comes from these consultations and to present those findings as they are grouped and formulated as the State’s policy on these three matters.”Questioned about why the consultations were not done before the Cabinet Secretary pointed out that there was “a bigger consultation” last year – a reference to the general and regional elections – but added that he believed there was adequate time to deal with the issues.Corporal punishment in schools is only to be administered by head teachers or those they designate while the criminalisation of same sex unions and the death penalty are holdovers from colonial days. The last hanging was carried out in the late 1990s.