Senator Sanjiv Boodhu has argued that legislation should be clear, practical and shaped through meaningful consultation with the people who will be affected by it.
Speaking during a PNM national conversation in St Joseph, Boodhu said citizens should look beyond whether they generally agree with the stated purpose of a law and closely examine how its individual provisions would operate.
He identified several principles that he believes should guide lawmakers, including fairness, clarity, practicality and the need for laws to operate prospectively rather than unfairly punishing conduct that was previously lawful.
Boodhu said laws should be written in a way that allows ordinary citizens to understand what is required of them.
He also argued that legislation should not impose obligations that are unreasonable or practically impossible to satisfy.
According to Boodhu, consultation should continue beyond the initial passage of legislation, with lawmakers paying attention to how laws operate in the real world and making adjustments where problems emerge.
He said major social or economic changes require particularly careful consultation because their effects can extend across different communities, industries and generations.
