In a significant development in Caribbean healthcare policy, Grenadian advocacy organizations have issued a formal appeal to Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell regarding the stalled Age of Civil Legal Responsibility (Amendment) Bill. The open letter, co-signed by GPPA President Dr. Tonia Frame and ASPIRE consultant Dr. Fred Nunes, references the Prime Minister’s own compelling arguments from July 2025 advocating for the legislation’s passage.
The proposed legislation addresses critical gaps in adolescent healthcare access, particularly regarding sexual health education and services. Proponents argue that the bill would empower medical professionals to provide necessary care to minors when parental consent is unattainable due to various circumstances, including unapproachable parents or abusive family situations.
Notably, the letter highlights that five Caribbean nations—Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, British Virgin Islands, and St. Lucia—have already implemented similar legislation over the past four decades, with two additional territories employing alternative legal frameworks for minor healthcare access.
To break the current legislative impasse, the advocacy groups propose establishing a Joint Select Committee (JSC) as a formal mechanism for comprehensive consultation. This parliamentary tool would enable technical experts, political parties, NGOs, religious organizations, and citizens to provide structured input on the controversial legislation.
The authors acknowledge the potential for procedural delay tactics but express confidence that with proper leadership and clear terms of reference, a JSC could facilitate genuine progress on addressing adolescent healthcare needs while maintaining parliamentary transparency and inclusive stakeholder engagement.