Government senators have insisted that the country’s Electronic Crimes (E-Crimes) Bill, recently amended in the Senate, is designed primarily to protect persons.
The Bill was amended in the Upper House to remove Clause 6, which deals with sending offensive messages through communication services, Section 16 which covers electronic stalking, and Section 25, which deals with arrests without warrants.
“There was actually no ill intent associated with those clauses. Those clauses were put in there originally to protect the innocent and those were the only motives,” declared Senator Simon Steil. “So if there were sinister motives behind it that is completely untrue, but that argument becomes academic now because we have listened, and we have responded.”
The changes were amended last month in the House of Representatives.
“We are saying that you have a responsibility as an individual to verify the information that you are putting out there. So we did not do a law that is against the Constitution of Grenada,” explained Senator Sheldon Scott. “This law is to protect the people of Grenada, not to take away their constitutional rights. There is nothing in here that has been infringed.”
Senator Brenda Hood, said the Electronic Crimes Amendment Bill is designed to protect people. “It does not mean because you are in a democratic state that you can just say anything about people and then say the government wants to stifle me.”
Senator Hood pointed out. “We are human beings on this side. We have families, children, relatives and they too read and they know a lot of the times what is written is not true. And therefore we have no choice but to do what is right.”
Media watchdogs are expected to welcome Grenada’s decision to amend the Electronic Crimes Bill.
Source: GIS
