Yesterday, we told you about the challenge launched by Jamaican lawyer and gay right's Activist, Maurice Tomlinson in the Caribbean Court of Justice. He says that Belize Immigration Act currently violates his right to free movement within CARICOM.
The CCJ is currently deliberating, and they will announce its decision at a later date, on whether or not they will hear his case.
That decision is pending, but certain quarters here in Belize have attempted to connect him to the amendment to the rape bill, which the church has come out strongly against. The link they are trying to establish to the bill is via his ex-wife, and former Deputy Solicitor General, Michelle Daly. He gave an extended interview to our colleague, Kalilah Enriquez, of Ceen News in Jamaica this afternoon, and he addressed that accusation head-on.
He said that it is pure mischief making to suggest that she was trying to embed pro-gay legislation in Belize on his behalf:
Kalilah Enriquez - Ceen News, Jamaica
"They believe that she is promoting that agenda on your behalf. What's your response to that?"
Maurice Tomlinson - Challenging Belize's Immigration Law
"My ex-wife is a legislative draftsperson. So, she drafts laws. She takes instructions from the Government to draft laws. As an attorney, you are not allowed to put your own opinion into any legislation, or any brief that you are required to take your client's instructions, and translate them into words. And, that's what she did. If the Government had objections to what she briefed, or what she drafted, they have the option to say, 'Change that. Take that out. It's too controversial, and so on.' And that's how laws are drafted by draftspersons. They don't have an opinion on the law. It's not for them to say. They are doing a job. We have been divorced now for over 7 years. It's not something that I would wish to influence, and even if I would have wanted to influence it, it would be impossible for me to influence it because she takes instructions from her employer, the Government of Belize. She does not take instructions from her ex-husband. There is a reason we are no longer married. We are ex, so why would she take instructions from. It's laughable. It's mischievous, and I think that it's really unfortunate that they would want to tarnish her reputation. I think she is a professional. That's why she rose to the level that she did, and she did what she was supposed to do, take instructions and draft a law. If the Government didn't like it, they could have asked her to change it."
Tomorrow, we'll have the comments he gave about the challenge to Belize's Immigration Law, and why he thought it important to bring the challenge. |