Guyana last night moved closer to abolishing wandering and truancy as crimes with the unanimous passage of the landmark Juvenile Justice Bill, which will see significant reforms in the way juvenile offenders are treated by law enforcement and the judiciary.
During a fiery five-hour-long debate, the parliamentary opposition insisted that the bill be sent to a special select committee to be “fine-tuned” before being passed but the government resisted, saying that the reforms have been on the agenda for too long.
“We have indicated that it is not going to any select committee. That is final. This government will fix its legislative agenda, not the opposition,” Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, who piloted the bill through its final readings, declared above the shouting during his final comments to close the debate.