Chief Ombudsman Ila Geno made the remarks towards the end of a three-page press statement after expressing concern about the amnesty given to soldiers involved in the armed standoff. Parliament was adjourned last December to July 23. This meant that the Defence Force reforms endorsed by Cabinet had not had the benefit of Parliament s scrutiny. In our case the Constitution and the laws relating to the Defence Force provide appropriate processes. Amnesty is not one of them.
Nobody is above the law.
The laws of the land are in place and must be followed at all times. They are there not only for when everything is running smoothly, but also for when times are tough. In fact, in times of crisis we should be looking first at the Constitution and the relevant laws for solutions, rather than coming up with quick fixes and then trying to work out ways to make them look constitutional . The Ombudsman Commission has an important role to play in monitoring compliance with the Constitution. All parties involved in a matter or crisis such as this must consider the full constitutional implications of their actions and decisions, before they make them.