Laws review is function of commission, Kwa says

 THE review of laws in the country is the primary function of the Constitutional Law Reform Commission (CLRC) and not any other government agency.

Commission secretary Dr Eric Kwa said this during the Underlying Laws conference in Port Moresby yesterday.

Speaking on the function and the plans ahead for the commission, Kwa said the constitution and the CLRC Act of 2004 empowered the commission to review, monitor and access all laws in the country.

This is done to have an unified legislation so that there are no separate contradicting laws.

He said under section 12 of the CLRC Act of 2004, the Commission had two primary functions to perform. One was the power to review laws at the direction of the head of state. Two was the powers of the Constitution as specified under section 11 of the CLRC Act, where there were nine heads of powers.

He said one example of the powers under section 12 of the Act to review laws as directed by the head of state was the recent directive from the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to look at the presidential system of government like in the United State of America to see if it was possible to introduce it in the country.

He said the Commission received 12 terms of references for review. Seven of them have been completed while five are expected to be completed next year.

Kwa highlighted the special roles of the CLRC under the Constitution and the underlying laws to research, investigate and report to parliament the findings on the development of the underlying laws.