Attorney General proposes constitutional protection for Mauritius National Human Rights Commission
During the annual symposium of the National Human Rights Commission NHRC at Middlesex University Mauritius, Attorney General Gavin Glover, Senior Counsel, proposed embedding the NHRC within the Constitution. This move aims to shield the institution from political fluctuations and ensure its perpetual independence. He anticipates that the legislative text could be presented to Parliament before the end of the year. Cynthia Radert, Chief of the National Institutions and Regional Mechanism Unit at the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Mari Jansen Van Rensburg, Director of Middlesex University Mauritius, also addressed the attendees. Glover emphasized that a simple Act of Parliament remains vulnerable to the whims of successive parliamentary majorities, asserting that only constitutional protection can grant the NHRC the same status and invulnerability as fundamental democratic pillars. He noted that the newly created Constitutional Review Commission would be free to examine this proposal, ensuring the NHRC is beyond ordinary legislative amendment. He also announced the upcoming National Human Rights Commission Bill of 2026, set to replace the 1998 Protection of Human Rights Act, aiming to consolidate Mauritius's 'A Status' with the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions GANHRI/SCA and meet Geneva's requirements for the 2027 scrutiny. The new bill includes reforms such as an investigative staff composed exclusively of trained civilians and prot
