Family Violence Bill to be tabled in Parliament this year – Min Persaud

The modern and holistic Family Violence Bill is complete and will be tabled on the floors of Parliament this year to further address violence comprehensively, thereby leading to its mitigation in society.
When approved, the Family Violence Bill will replace the current Domestic Violence Act.
Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud said the Bill benefited from widespread input from civil society and stakeholders in the hopes of providing more coverage for victims through the law.
“It is a Bill that offers much in coverage whereas before the Domestic Violence Act dealt with more inter-personal violence. This gives wider coverage so if there is any kind of violence in the family, people will be able to have more recourse to the law,” she related.
The Bill will also facilitate more punitive measures, and the removal of discretionary powers from Police to ensure action is taken.
“There is not a discretion that will be used in terms of when they act, but once there is visible evidence of bodily harm they must take the report,” Dr Persaud explained.
Additionally, the Minister revealed that the draft of the Harassment Bill will be finalised this year. The Bill is tailored to address general harassment, especially in the workplace.
Similarly, the Ministry is looking to table Bills relating to the protection of children and child care this year as well. These include abduction of the child and child maintenance in alignment with the Hague Convention.
“We need real protection to be provided to these women, we need them to understand what the law does for them, we need them to understand what a protection order is and we need the perpetrators also to understand what it means to flunk the protection order,” the Minister noted.
Back in March 2023, Attorney General Anil Nandlall related that the Government is currently working to replace the 1997 Domestic Violence Act with the Family Violence Bill.
Drawing from Government’s 30 years of practical experience dealing with the Domestic Violence Act, the new Bill would seek to correct the deficiencies, omissions and weaknesses contained therein, and ensure an easy process for persons to lodge complaints, while expanding beyond the civil nature of the Act.
In continued commitment to prioritise the rights and concerns of women and children in the country, Nandlall also detailed updates on other legislation over which the Commission had raised issues.
The multi-ministerial effort by the Legal Affairs, Human Services and Social Security and Education Ministries to review the Sexual Offences Act will rely heavily on engagement with the legal profession, Director of Public Prosecutions, the Guyana Police Force, and other stakeholders.