Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 588947,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/588947/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 183,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I just thought he wanted to speak; if he wants to speak, he should be given priority. We do not take the issue of ranking seriously. As lawyers, we take issues of ranking seriously. In parliamentary practice in other countries, ranking is taken seriously but we do not take it seriously here. We should take it seriously because this is what the courts are trying to--- One of the things that this Bill seeks to do is give effect to Article 165of the Constitution, which is a good thing. Before I joined Parliament, I worked with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) as a co-ordinator of a program on gender and access to justice. This Bill speaks a lot to the work I used to do then. One of the things I am very disheartened about is that the Bill is not strong on the issue of gender mainstreaming. It talks about this in very general terms. Those of us who have worked with the Judiciary - I have worked with the judiciary on such a program - know that women find it more difficult to access justice. Therefore, some of the things that should have been included should have been how women can deal with complaints on issues of sexual harassment, women who are complainants and users of the court system, and women who work in the court system whether as judges, or otherwise. I would like to say that one of the Members who spoke ahead of me spoke to the issue of a law that already provides for the setting up of courts in every county. I remember I was the one who moved such an amendment. I was just wondering in terms of legislative elegance why we need to have similar provisions in two different laws. My suggestion would be that when the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs will be moving his amendments, he either deletes that earlier provision, or deletes this current provision, so that we do not have duplication in our laws. It is a misuse of words. We love talking as politicians and we can preserve those words for use in political rallies. I would like to say that the other thing I love about this Bill is the issue of intermediaries, or the use of intermediaries. That gives chances to young people, especially children and persons who are victims of sexual and gender based violence. It mirrors a lot the Victims Protection Act, The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}