HUMAN RIGHTS AND CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES TOP AGENDA AT OCCBA LAW CONFERENCE
     
     BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (SEPTEMBER 6TH 2002) - Human rights and constitutional issues will be the main focus of discussion when the Organisation of Commonwealth Bar Association (OCCBA) Law Conference is convened in St. Kitts this weekend.
     
     The September 7th and 8th meeting at the Frigate Bay Beach Resort will also consider issues of professional ethics and international financial tax directives. The theme of the Conference is 'Designing Constitutions to fit our peculiar circumstances.'
     
     'We consider that it is important to give urgent and deep consideration to the way we think about constitutional models and it is necessary also to consider the impact and the importance of recent Privy Council cases on the issue of human rights,' the OCCBA Conference booklet says.
     
     President of the OCCBA and President of the Bahamas Bar Association, Dr. Peter Maynard chairs the proceedings at which St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Denzil L. Douglas, will deliver the Opening Address on Saturday morning.
     
     Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Kittitian Sir Denis Byron, will make a presentation on 'Professional ethics and the impact on the issue of human rights.'
     
     Attorney General of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Hon. Delano Bart, will then present a paper on 'the thrust to constitutional reform in the Eastern Caribbean.'
     
     Former St. Kitts and Nevis Governor, Sir Fred Phillips, Q.C. will look at West Indian Constitutions, while Dr. Peter Maynard will deal with 'Constitutional Reform: the right to voting secrecy in general and other elections with a review of the case McEwan vs. Attorney General.
     
     OCCBA will also address issues including 'Constitutional models around the world Cons, Constitutional developments in the Overseas Territories, The impact of recent Caribbean constitutional and Human rights cases, Mitigation hearings in murder cases.
     
     The Privy Council Decisions in Reyes Hughes and Fox cases information and Human Rights and HIV/AIDS.
     
     American-trained lawyer from Florida, but who lives and works in Europe and the Caribbean will propose that the Caribbean should demand tax benefits in exchange for tax information.
     
     CCBA holds a breakfast business meeting on Sunday, before holding discussions on the Caribbean Court of Justice.
     
     OCCBA is an organisation of the bar and law associations in the Commonwealth Caribbean, in particular Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Belize, British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
     
     
     OCCBA is the successor of an organisation known as the West Indies Bar Association, which established in 1957 in Barbados after a conference in Trinidad in 1952.
     
     OCCBA is concerned with questions of Human Rights, Justice and the Rule of Law and undertake any action which in its judgment may contribute to the protection and preservation of these and other fundamental conditions for a well-ordered society, deal with all matters affecting the legal profession and take action thereon as may be deemed expedient so as to promote, preserve, regulate, and protect its interests and the interest of its members, act as representative of the Bar Associations and answer questions and recommend rules relating to professional conduct.
     
     OCCBA is also aimed at maintaining the honour and independence of the Bar and defend the Bar in its relations with the Judiciary and the Executive; support the independence of the Judiciary and maintain cordial relations among members of the Bar and between the Bar and the Bench and promote the improvement of the administration of Justice.