Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Senator, the Hon. Ryan Pinder, said the government takes the reputation of the county very seriously. To this end, he said that the recent negative publicity that the country received, is being thoroughly addressed. The Minister was speaking during a Special Sitting of the Supreme Court during an official ceremony for the Opening of the Judiciary’s Legal Year. The event was held on Wednesday, January 8, at Margaritaville Beach Resort.
The week of events commemorating the opening of the legal year commenced with a ‘Red Mass’ held at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral on Sunday, January 5; and members of the Judiciary, on Wednesday, participated in a march from Rawson Square to the Christ Church Cathedral, where the Rt. Rev’d Laish Boyd presided over the service. Officiating the ceremony was Dean and Rector, the Very Reverend Harry Bain. The service was followed by the Inspection of the Guard, led by Chief Justice, Sir Ian Winder and Provost, newly installed Police Commission, Shanta Knowles.
During his address at the ceremony’s Special Sitting, Minister Pinder reaffirmed the government’s commitment to combating corruption, even among those who hold higher office. “My Lord, it will be remiss of me if I do not take a moment to speak on the recent and notable allegations. I want to assure that the Government of The Bahamas takes all allegations of corruption, both domestically and internationally, seriously whether the allegations are against our armed forces or any other government agency or official,” said Mr. Pinder.
He said that work has been done to introduce legislation that will address the concerns of the people with ‘transparency and with authority’.
“The Independent Commission of Investigations Bill has been released for consultation, and we have taken note of the feedback given. We will proceed with this legislation in Parliament,” said the Senator. “We will bring legislation to establish a whistleblower protection framework.”
He said that Whistleblowers are critical to the fight against corruption. “Not only do they safeguard and sometimes help recover misused public funds, but they also contribute to bringing about policy reforms. Their actions raise awareness and help establish a public accountability and integrity culture.”
He said that The Ombudsman Act, 2024 was enacted to provide for the Establishment of an Office of the Ombudsman, which will ensure that every public officer acts in accordance with its mandate and in compliance with fundamental freedoms and human rights. “We intend to bring this Act into force within the ensuing weeks.”
Also speaking during the Special Sitting was Chief Justice Sir Ian Winder, who gave a report covering all undertakings by the Judiciary over the previous year.
President of the Bahamas Bar Association, Kahlil Parker, KC, also addressed the court.
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