Human rights body welcomes deferral of debate on anti-terror bill

The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) yesterday applauded the decision by the APNU+AFC Government to postpone passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill in one Parliamentary sitting but also raised concerns over how the administration sees the process of consultation.

On Wednesday, the GHRA had expressed shock over the government’s plan to proceed with all three stages of the bill at Thursday’s sitting, arguing that in its present state the proposed legislation would allow the state to perpetrate serious violations of due process. The government on Thursday relented on the anti-terror bill while proceeding with two other bills, one of which amended the anti-money laundering bill.

Yesterday, the GHRA said that while calls for further consultation are welcome, its primary concern is the