BY CAROL-ANNE SULEGA
THE Citizenship Bill 2017 regulations have been drafted in a way to not be discriminatory as applicably possible.
This was a statement by Pamela Wilde, the Legal Policy Advisor of the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs (MJLA) before the Bills and Legislation Committee (BLC) this week.
She made the statement in response to queries by the Chairman of the BLC, Hon Connelly Sandakabatu on the proposed legislation’s section that specifies spousal relationships.
“We were careful when the Bill was drafted so that it would be non-discriminatory,” Wilde added.
The Bill is non-discriminatory to persons with disabilities, race and religion who wish to acquire citizenship in Solomon Islands.
Pamela Wilde then highlighted that if a person is in a genuine de facto relationship considering the duration, financial commitments between the duo and mutual assets acquired during the duration of their de facto relationship, they too are able to apply for citizenship just as formally married couples.
