| Dutch Council of State Advice in line with St. Maarten’s position |
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| Wednesday, 18 March 2009 00:00 |
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(GIS) Commissioner of Constitutional Affairs Sarah Wescot-Williams, says that the advice from the Kingdom Council of State is in line with the position that St. Maarten has taken that the Dutch Justice Minister's authority of instruction to prosecutor's in St. Maarten and Curacao as outlined in the law proposal was unconstitutional and would interfere with the autonomy of the new countries.
Commissioner Wescot is hoping that the Dutch Government will reconsider its position and that the views of Curacao and St. Maarten are taken into consideration. According to sources, the Kingdom Council of State doesn't consider it necessary to grant the Dutch Minister of Justice special powers so that he or she can instruct the Prosecutors' Offices of the new countries to investigate and prosecute punishable acts. |