Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations CommitteeAnnual Review 2006, August 2007Chairperson's ForewordBack to Table of Contents] |
I am pleased to introduce the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee’s Annual Review covering the calendar year 2006. There were 2 Committees during 2006, one in the final months of the 55th Parliament and the second Committee was established on the commencement of the 56th Parliament in December. In brief, the functions of the Committee are to review all Bills introduced into Parliament, to review regulations, to review and report on redundant or unclear Acts and to undertake specific inquiries referred to the Committee either by the Parliament or by a Minister. In July 2006 the Parliament enacted the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (the ‘Charter’). On commencement in January 2007 the Charter gives the Committee a new human rights focus in the scrutiny of primary and subordinate legislation. The Charter requires the Committee to report to Parliament on any provision in a Bill or in regulations which is incompatible with the civil and political rights in Chapter 2 of the Charter. I have no doubt that the enactment of the Charter will present challenging work for the Parliament and the Committee in the future. The Committee has been fortunate to have a dedicated and professional secretariat staff, and I take this opportunity to thank our Senior Legal Adviser, Andrew Homer, for effectively leading our team during 2006. The Committee is also indebted to Ms Helen Mason for her experienced guidance in the scrutiny of regulations, and to Simon Dinsbergs and Sonya Caruana for their efficient management and administrative support during the year. Carlo Carli MP July 2007 |
|
Scrutiny
of Acts and Regulations Committee |