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{
    "id": 241689,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/241689/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 302,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ms. Karua",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 166,
        "legal_name": "Martha Wangari Karua",
        "slug": "martha-karua"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. Anybody sincerely looking at the amendments being sought will see that they are actually well intentioned and they are intended to cover the lapse between the law and other developments in the country. The Bill before the House now is the property of the House. Therefore, each one of us is entitled to scrutinise and propose whatever amendments one intends to introduce for consideration by hon. Members of this House. Let us be guided by national interest and not personal interest. We should not propose amendments because, perhaps, we have friends, clients or ourselves under any form of investigation. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I must congratulate the Departmental Committee on Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs for having done thorough work. We agree with most of the amendments that they have proposed. We shall be seeking to discuss with them further, one or two amendments that they have proposed. However, basically, I would say that they have done a well considered job in almost all the amendments. We shall be willing to listen and see proposals July 20, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2287 by any other hon. Member of this House because it is their entitlement to consider adequately the Bill before the House. It is not correct to say that all confessions should be before a magistrate. Just as the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs has said, if we do that, we will be making our judges and magistrates potential witnesses. There is absolutely nothing wrong, after proper rules have been drawn, to have confessions before a responsible officer, say, a police officer of the rank of Inspector. After all, lawyers are being employed in the police force now. So, it is a question of saying that only persons who are legally trained should hear confessions. We should be saying that the police force needs to employ more lawyers to enable this to happen. Again, we are trying to persuade our colleagues in this House to let this very vital amendment go on so that we do not complicate the justice system by asking the presiding officer to become an investigator."
}