Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2021)

117.   Prescribed matters concerning Commissioner

  1.  

    (1)   There shall be such provision as may be made by Parliament—

    1.  

      (a)     for regulating the procedure for the making of complaints and requests to the Parliamentary Commissioner and for the exercise of his or her functions;

    1.  

      (b)     for conferring such powers on the Commissioner and imposing duties on persons in connection with the due performance of his or her functions; and

    1.  

      ©     generally for facilitating the performance by the Commissioner of his or her functions.

  1.  

    (2)   The Parliamentary Commissioner may not be empowered to summon a Minister or a Parliamentary Secretary to appear before him or her or to compel a Minister or a Parliamentary Secretary to answer any questions relating to any matter under investigation by the Commissioner.

  1.  

    (3)   The Parliamentary Commissioner may not be empowered to summon any witness to produce any Cabinet papers or to give any confidential income tax information.

  1.  

    (4)   No complainant may be required to pay any fee in respect of his or her complaint or request or for any investigation to be made by the Parliamentary Commissioner.

  1.  

    (5)   No proceedings, civil or criminal, may lie against the Parliamentary Commissioner, or against any person holding an office or appointment under him or her, for anything he or she may do or report or say in the course of the exercise or intended exercise of the functions of the Commissioner under this Constitution, unless it is shown that he or she acted in bad faith.

  1.  

    (6)   The Parliamentary Commissioner, and any person holding office or appointment under him or her, may not be called to give evidence in any court of law, or in any proceedings of a judicial nature, in respect of anything coming to his or her knowledge in the exercise of his or her functions.

  1.  

    (7)   Anything said or any information supplied or any document, paper, or thing produced by any person in the course of any enquiry by or proceedings before the Parliamentary Commissioner under this Constitution shall be privileged in the same manner as if the enquiry or proceedings were proceedings in a court of law.

  1.  

    (8)   No proceedings of the Parliamentary Commissioner may be held bad for want of form, and, except on the ground of lack of jurisdiction, no proceeding or decision of the Commissioner shall be liable to be challenged, reviewed, quashed or called in question in any court of law.

CHAPTER X
MISCELLANEOUS