The schedule for parliamentary review committee work this People’s Majlis session has revealed that work on the long-awaited evidence law has been stalled for two years. 

The Majlis secretariat publicised the schedule on Wednesday, which shows the bill to have been received on 13th February, 2017, with a deadline set for 30th November, the same year. 

The status of the bill is that the committee on national security, to which it was submmitted, has yet to begin reviewing it, absolutely nothing has been done since the committee recieved it. 

The evidence bill was submitted on behalf of the then government by MP Ali Shah in February of 2017,  and if passed, it would replace the brief law on evidence, enacted in 1976, currently in use. 

The bill outlines the use of evidence in both civil and criminal matters, and lays down the procedural guidelines for admissibility in court and acquiring witness testimony, also making provisions for witness protection. 

Funadhoo MP Ali Saleem’s bill on education is still in committee review, having been received in February of 2017 as well. The committee on national development has not started work on it either.  

The schedule also shows that the committee on independent institutions is also yet to begin review of a bill on whistleblower protection, submitted on 11th December, 2018.