Roseau, Dominica: Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, stated that the Status of Children Act is a progressive and essential piece of legislation that will fulfil the needs of kids involved in parentage issues while encouraging openness and justice in the legal system.
When discussing the laws, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit noted that the proposed legislation gives instructions on providing security and care for all children so they can be assured of a brighter future.
According to him, Dominica’s Status of Children Act seeks to give all children equal rights regardless of their parent’s marital status or parents’ marital status. The legislation is expected to address the rights of a child born outside of marriage and consider children’s interests in property.
During the second session of the parliament, PM Skerrit emphasised that the bill promotes children, ensuring that the paternity question is not used as a bar to succession in cases.
Due to the small Caribbean societies’ cultural and societal traditions, many have faced depressing and frequently cruel discrimination, which the law ends.
Minister Skerrit briefly explained the importance of the family measure and pointed out that the laws before the house embody the government’s long-standing goal of offering security, care, and protection to all Dominican residents.
According to Prime Minister Skerrit, the laws demonstrated their commitment to defending the duties and rights of all families across society. He emphasises that the DLP-led administration has a respectable record of social protection.
The prime minister added, “I refer to the package of policies and programmes devised and carried out by this administration to decrease the social and economic risk and vulnerabilities of citizens and strengthen their capacity to protect themselves and enjoy a high degree of comfort and dignity.
PM Skerrit emphasised that the removal of laterans, the building of homes and the provision of housing assistance, the availability of pipeline water and electricity, the free transportation of secondary school students throughout Dominica, the provision of free medical care, the allowance for those who are not eligible for pensions at age 65 and above, and a host of other initiatives are just a few of the industries that have been implemented.
In describing his vision, Prime Minister Skerrit stated that all vulnerable groups, such as the unemployed, the disabled, the ill, the elderly, single parents, and children, are covered by their comprehensive social protection system.
Similarly, the bills before the parliament achieve their goals of establishing just and equitable systems where all citizens are taken into account and their rights are given priority.
The prime minister announced the new family rules, noting that they provide rights for divorcing spouses, parents, grandparents, children who have been abused or neglected, and victims of domestic violence.
He continued by saying that the administration is proving its sincerity about protecting our children, women, and elderly, whose rights are most frequently violated, by submitting this legislation to the parliament.
He claimed that in recognition of the necessity of strong family structures for societies to flourish, the legal system had been set up to assist families in navigating the legal complexities of family life by outlining each member’s obligations and rights to one another and by providing a framework for conflict resolution through court mediation.
He said, “Many of us have been aware of the prejudice surrounding Dominican children, often known as outside children, for years. A number of us in this room may be all too familiar with what it’s like to be an outside child who is denigrated, made to feel inferior, and in many cases, shunned by our sisters and siblings who were fortunate enough to be born as rightful Heirs of our fathers”.
He pointed out that the Commonwealth of Dominica will no longer experience these circumstances, which date back to the bill’s inception and are intended to right a historical and generational injustice in our community.
In order to emphasise the significance of the measure, he stated that it is crucial to understand that it takes into account children born through artificial conception processes.
PM Skerrit said, “As a nation, we have an obligation, and we accept that responsibility as a government to take into account the rights and well-being of our children in every element of our decision-making. The legislation will enable us to address the issue of child discrimination”.