A bill for the granting of custody, contact and guardianship of children as well as maintenance rights was passed by the National Assembly on Thursday evening.
The Custody, Contact, Guardianship and Maintenance Bill, which had been referred to a special select committee for consideration, was piloted by Human Services and Social Security Minister Priya Manickchand, who said briefly that the legislation will strengthen parental and guardian relationships.
She expressed appreciation to all members of parliament who served on the committee, which crafted the bill, and noted that the work of the group was vital towards its passage.
Manickchand received support from both sides of the house and PNCR-1G MP Clarrissa Riehl described the legislation as “very progressive.” She said that the she had no hesitation in supporting the bill and she too lauded the work done by the committee.
Reverend Kwame Gilbert, speaking on behalf of the government, said that the committee spent a significant amount of time working on the bill, while noting that childhood-bearing projection was the major objective. He said that the committee benefited from an open and commendable level of engagement from all its members.
He noted that the bill covers the broad spectrum of the judicial and regulatory framework necessary for the granting of custody and guardianship of children as well as the duty of maintenance of children. Gilbert said too that the legislation gives a clear definition of the responsibility of matters of maintenance of children by spouses prior to, and after marriage.
Society is well aware of children in the midst who carry the label of being “outside” children, he said, while adding that it also needed to recognise the circumstances under which such children are raised. He said that the administration, while giving support for creation of safer lives of children, also supported moves to stem incidences of child labour and exploitation of the young and vulnerable.
According to Gilbert, the legislation adds to the arsenal another calibre of weaponry against paedophiles and those who wish to abuse children. Ideally, he said, children should be brought up in an environment where their wellbeing is taken care of. Sadly, he, however, noted, this is not the case and consequently there are those who grow up in homes and environments where they are abused or denied their fundamental human rights as children.
Gilbert added that children are vital and critical to the continuity of generations to come and he stated that many are not regarded as blessed but rather blight, and are often neglected. He noted that the aforementioned remains an issue in many parts of the world and while the media does its work in highlighting child-related issues, there remain unheard instances where children are locked-up or are left alone. He also said that the government submits to ensuring that no child is denied the right to happiness and his/her basic rights.
AFC MP Latchmin Budhan-Punalall stated that the bill is related to four specific and important aspects of children’s rights and welfare. She said that aspects of the legislation, which relate to the responsibility of parents or guardians to assist in the development of children, state clearly the powers by which the law is to be implemented. She noted too that persons responsible for care of children need to exercise wisdom and strength of character while children should submit to the supervision being provided by their parents or guardians.
Budhan-Punalall said that children should never be left to believe that that they are mature enough to be their own decision-makers, while adding that while the task of parenting is never an easy one. She said that the AFC fully supported the bill and requested that the agency tasked with its execution put systems in place to implement the law.
