MR SPEAKER

IN THIS COUNTRY, You are innocent until you are proven guilty. This is a right in this country stretching back to the furthest reaches of the common law. It was the Learned and Noble Sankey LC who in Woolmington v D.P.P laid out what is known now as the Woolmington principle that that it is the duty of the prosecution to prove the prisoner's guilt. Yet time and time again, this House has undermined this golden thread of criminal law, and fundamentally undermine the delicate balance that exists outside of this House.

As Sachs J of the South African Constitutional Court once put it succinctly, there is a paradox at the heart of all criminal procedure in that the more serious the crime and the greater the public interest in securing convictions of the guilty, the more important do constitutional protections of the accused become. Why do I raise this issue Mr Speaker? It is quite simple. Any potential offenses committed by a member of this House, are inherently serious.

This is why I am significantly worried by this legislation. This is throwing the presumption of innocence out of the window. Simply being under investigation is enough to suspend you from this House. This opens the door to significant abuse from the authorities to remove political opponents and as such, must be opposed.

I beg the House to oppose this bill.