Heather Robinson
CAN YOU imagine a Jamaica where baby fathers can take their baby mothers to court for the maintenance of their child? Can you imagine a Jamaica where married men can apply for maintenance on the dissolution of the marriage, from the wife? Can you further imagine a Jamaica where children have a legal responsibility to maintain their parents and grandparents who need support because of their age, infirmity or any other disability?
Last Friday, Senator A.J. Nicholson, the Attorney-General, piloted amendments to the Maintenance and Matrimonial Causes Acts which if passed into law will make these 'imaginings' a reality. These amendments will have far reaching effects on how women have been socialised in Jamaica. No longer will the Jamaican man be considered to be the main breadwinner and the only parent with legal responsibility for the maintenance of a child. Women who now visit the Family Courts to ensure that fathers support their children will find that fathers are visiting these courts to ensure that mothers support their children. And perhaps, with the introduction of these amendments ,women will stop having children with multiple fathers with the hope that they will finally find one who is willing and able to support all the children.
TERMINATION OF RELATIONSHIP
Recently, I had several conversations about the new '50-50' law which entitles married persons to a 50 per cent share of the 'matrimonial home' upon termination of the relationship. This '50-50' law also provides similar benefits to persons who have been in common-law relationships for over five years. It is no wonder therefore that Jamaican men have been exercising their brains as to how they can get themselves out of any such obligation. One quick thinking man recently rented a house for his live-in baby mother and child on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the live- in relationship. One can only wonder what Jamaican women will do in similar situations. Perhaps we might just see more and more persons entering into pre-nuptial agreements.
Some Jamaicans have always had the view that children are a substitute for old-age pensions. However, not all children have lived up to the responsibilities of caring for their parents and there are many embarrassed parents who will never take their children to court to compel them to look after them. Hopefully, these children will become honourable people with the possible threat of court action hanging over their heads.
SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES
There is no doubt that the majority of Jamaicans believe that our police officers need to be better paid. However, the various ways in which they have tried to 'force' the Ministry of Finance into settling their wage dispute have left a very bad taste in the mouths of many of us. Marching to the Ministry of Finance and demonstrating there in February, and their subsequent corralling of the Minister did not get them many friends. We expect our police officers to be role models for our citizens in the settlement of any dispute, as they themselves seek to be responsible upholders of the law.
The executive of the Jamaica Police Federation has announced that it has called a meeting of its membership at Elletson Road for next Monday. The Observer of Wednesday September 28 reported that the federation's public relations spokesman (and himself a former chairman) Sergeant David White, "declined to confirm a report that Minister of Local Government, Portia Simpson Miller and former minister, Dr. Karl Blythe - both vying for the presidency of the ruling People's National Party - have been invited to speak at the rally. He would, however, welcome their presence."
It matters not whether all of this was and is speculation. What purpose could be properly served by having these two presidential aspirants speak to the rank and file members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force? Can they improve on the offer to the police or can they agree to pay the $50,000 requested as service pay if they become the Prime Minister after having been elected the president of the PNP? I am confident that both members of the Government of Jamaica have far more sense than to fall into such a trap, and it doesn't matter how accommodating the federation could be at such a rally, political representative's responsibility goes beyond politicking and in any case, are there any PNP delegates within that group?
Heather Robinson is a life underwriter and former Member of Parliament.
