Opposition agrees that there's no need for referendum on CCJ; will support change from Privy Council if it's workable

Leaders talk: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Oppositon Leader Keith Rowley at this talks Friday 

The government and the opposition met Friday and agreed that there is no need for a national referendum on the move from the Privy Council to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as Trinidad & Tobago's final court of appeal on criminal matters.

However they were not able to narrow differences on some specifics of the proposal and have agreed to continue discussions on the matter.

The agreement on the matter of a referendum isolates the Congress of the People (COP), one of the partners in the governing coalition. COP has been saying that the matter is too important for legislatures alone to decide on it and has called on the government to hold a referendum.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar immediately dismissed the idea when COP raised it last Sunday.

The delegations at Friday's talks were led by the Prime Minister on one side and Keith Rowley on the other.

Rowley told reporters the Opposition would fully support the legislation if the Government can prove that its proposal of a partial change is workable.

"There is a PNM position which is go the whole way, there's a UNC position which is to go half way and there's a COP position which is to hold a referendum," RFowley noted.

"I think the Government and the Opposition are in one about not requiring a referendum....the question of a referendum on a CCJ or not, to me is disingenuous, because we have already created it, we put a couple hundred million dollars into a trust fund that is operating now, there's a court in session," he said.

He added that the Government agreed to have another look at its proposal top determine if there are loopholes that could cause legal challenges.

"We exchanged our advice and the Government agreed that they will do certain things and they will share with us information as they go along," Rowley said. "We are prepared to go in that direction...it is for the Government to show us that it is workable."