THE CHIEF JUSTICE ON CITIZENSHIP

The Chief Justice Sir Ian Winder  warned the government in a speech delivered to the Eugene Dupuch Law School last month that the issue of granting citizenship to non-nationals mainly Haitians in The Bahamas is a ticking timebomb if it isn’t addressed expeditiously.  This is not breaking news.  It has been obvious for some time.  Maybe though, the Chief Justice saying, someone will listen.  The Bahamas Nationality Act gives the Minister the right to grant citizenship but yet every week the cabinets of The Bahamas have been laden with decisions about granting citizenship which are routinely approved because in 99 per cent of the cases, you have no choice  The Chief Justice’s speech  approved that very sentiment. So many things in this country are impatient of debate and obvious.