THE motion to approve the Prisons No.2 Order 2025 has been passed in the Senate.

And like the House of Representatives, the Opposition members abstained in that vote.

The division of the vote was 23 voting for with seven abstentions. No member voted against.

All the abstentions came from the six opposition members and one independent senator Dr Desirée Murray when the Senate met on Tuesday in an extraordinary sitting.

The motion was to allow the Minister of Homeland Security by Order to appoint any place as a convict depot or a prison and that such an Order shall be subject to affirmative resolution of Parliament.

The Order was made by Minister of Homeland Security on July 24 prior to the extraordinary sittings of both the Lower and the Upper House this week to further debate the declared State of Emergency (SoE) and approve through Parliament its extension for a further 90 days.

In wrapping up the motion that was brought by Attorney General John Jeremie in the Senate, Jeremie said, “We are committed as a government, committed to the rule of law attempting to strike that balance between the rights of the individual and the rights of the many in society.”

He said, “It was that fact that drove me to pay a visit to the detainees in Tetron last week before Cabinet and I spoke with them. I went in to their cells and I spoke with them.”

Inmates at the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca were transferred to the Tetron army base in an attempt to limit communication with persons outside of prison as law enforcement work at cracking down on what as been described as “an organised crime syndicate.”

Jeremie said he was not putting in requests for better meals and other inmates’ requests but he saw it fit to ensure they were being treated appropriately.

“I am sorry to say but at this point in time, the balance has to weigh in favour of the rights of the many,” he said.

Jeremie said, “I said to them, we are dealing with a crisis and their rights are secondary to ours.”

Referring to himself as some-one who has an important role guarding citizens’ fundamental rights, he said, “There will come a time, and that day may be soon, when I am very concerned about their constitutional and human rights. Not so today.”

Also speaking on the motion were Opposition Senator Faris Al-Rawi and Independent Senator Anthony Vieira.

Jeremie in his contribution, also thanked all who worked tirelessly in the background ensuring all paperwork was completed namely the Chief Parliamentary Counsel and officers under the Ministry of the Homeland Security, the police, defence force and prison officers in the matter.

He said, “I am prepared to stand behind the advice of the security forces and those forces have asked us to designate premises in a particular way.”

The premises have been designated and the individuals secured, Jeremie said.