GORDON House has begun advertising for submissions to two new joint select committees appointed to deliberate on the recently announced Road Traffic Bill and the sexual offences legislations.

The joint select committee on the sexual offences legislations will be reviewing four bills — the Child Care and Protection Act, the Domestic Violence Act, the Offences Against the Person Act and the Sexual Offences Act, which is having its first five-year review having been promulgated in 2009.

Among other issues the committee will look at are offences and punishment under these Acts, placing special emphasis on the protection of the most vulnerable (women, children, the elderly and persons living with disabilities) from violence and abuse.

Chairman of this committee and Minister of Justice, Senator Mark Golding, has acknowledged that with the review open to public submissions, it is not unlikely that issues such as the repeal of the buggery law, as well as the treatment of what he called “sexual minorities” including lesbian, gay, bisexuals, and transgenders (LGBTs), could dominate the deliberations.

However, he said that other issues, such as the common approach to sexual deviance in the region and its effect on public health programmes, including HIV/AIDS, will also be highlighted during the review.

Golding has confirmed dialogue with representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to assist with the case for the reform of provisions for intimacy in private among consenting consulting adults, with particular focus on public health disadvantages and the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The LGBT community has often criticised Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller for failing to deliver on her 2011 election platform pledge to review the country’s buggery law. Golding has said that he would not be surprised if the contending parties used the opportunity provided by the review to make their cases for and against repealing the legislation, but made it clear that this should not be seen as the aim of the exercise.

Opposition Leader Andrew Holness has suggested a referendum to decide the issue, contending that a conscience vote in Parliament would not be effective.

The long-awaited Road Traffic Bill has been drafted to modernise and update current legislation by making the Island Traffic Authority (ITA) the licensing authority and delegating its functions; broadening the role of the Road Traffic Appeal Tribunal; providing for the reclassification of all forms of vehicles; introducing new classes of driver’s licences and attaching conditions to the granting of these licences; and dealing with the transportation of dangerous and hazardous substances.

However, the major issue has been the significant increases in the fines for breaches of the proposed new provisions, which has raised concern among the public.