Family members of the late Ryan Gumbs showed up in Parliament in full force on Tuesday to listen to the deliberations.
~Offers to meet victim's family~
PHILIPSBURG--Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling apologised to the family of a fatal road crash victim for any offence caused by her non-verbal communication during Tuesday's urgent meeting of Parliament, saying she is willing to meet with them to explain the decision she made and that she would make the same decision again.
Speaking towards the end of the meeting, Tackling addressed criticism from Members of Parliament (MPs) over what MP Lyndon Lewis described as a smirk during the proceedings.
Tackling said any facial expression had not been directed at the grieving family. "If the family felt in any way disrespected by that, I would want to apologise to them," she said, adding that she also wanted to express her grief and sympathy not only to that family but to the families of all those who have lost loved ones in road accidents.
She said she could not discuss the details of her decision on the floor of Parliament because of the ongoing investigation, but said she was prepared to meet with the family privately.
The Minister said if the matter presented itself to her again, she would have made the same decision, adding that she was confident the decision was the right one based on the legal framework, public order concerns and the information available to her at the time.
Nation Opportunity Wealth (NOW) MP Lyndon Lewis said the issue was not that the minister had been smiling at the family's situation, but that "this was not the setting" for any appearance of smiling or smirking. He said family members had contacted him and expressed disappointment.
Lewis also said he wanted to see "a Minister of Justice who will stand up for this country" and one who would make people "feel law and order."
National Alliance (NA) MP Ardwell Irion thanked Lewis for requesting the urgent meeting but said he was disappointed that the minister was only now saying she wished to speak with the family.
Irion said the family had been seeking answers for weeks through social media and news reports and suggested that such a conversation should have taken place earlier if it had been possible.
Responding, Tackling referred to two official statements issued after the fatal accident. She said the first police press release stated that the vehicle had allegedly been overtaking multiple vehicles, while a later statement from the Prosecutor's Office clarified that there was currently no evidence the vehicle had overtaken multiple vehicles. She stressed that this did not mean any overtaking manoeuvre had taken place.
Tackling said she understood the investigation remained ongoing and that the case file was still being compiled. As Minister of Justice, she said she was not privy to the details of the investigation and therefore could not answer many of the questions raised during the debate.
She again extended her condolences to the family and repeated her apology if her non-verbal communication had been interpreted negatively. She said she had considered the family's circumstances when making her decision and remained prepared to explain that decision to them privately.
Tackling also said that while nothing discussed in Parliament would change the outcome of the tragedy, the debate had highlighted the need to prevent similar incidents in the future. She said her presentation had honestly outlined both what her ministry could and could not do and had openly acknowledged the ministry's vulnerabilities and weaknesses.
President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams suggested convening a meeting of Parliament's Justice Committee to examine the issues and proposals raised during the debate. She encouraged the committee to continue the discussions as soon as possible and urged Tackling to accept the offer to meet with the family and provide any additional information she was able to share. Wescot-Williams said the family remained eager for answers, and she was sure that they would appreciate the opportunity to hear the minister’s explanation.
