Oct 23 - GSD Concerned At Academic’s Comments On Suitability Of Gibraltar Constitution

The GSD notes that a university academic that has been retained by the Government of Gibraltar to undertake a research project into a clause of the 2006 Constitution, has described our Constitution as “ill-suited for post-Brexit” life.

The Leader of the Opposition Roy Clinton said: “A select committee of Parliament on Constitutional Reform was established by the Chief Minister in March 2016 to review and assess any changes that may be “necessary or desirable” to the 2006 Constitution but has not met once.

"It is apparent that the Chief Minister appears to be endorsing the views of Dr Hakeem Yusuf in going so far as to describe the Peace Order and Good Government clause of our constitution as the “final frontier” and Brexit being a chance to “prise this open”.

"Our consistent view has been that now is not the time to be meddling with our Constitution, but for the sake of unity we agreed to participate in the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Reform.

"Unity however works both ways and the Government should not be making these type of unilateral statements without them having at least been considered by the select committee.

"I thus ask that the Chief Minster calls a meeting of the Parliamentary select committee on Constitutional Reform in order for it to understand and consider these matters.”

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