Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has confirmed that his Cabinet will on Tuesday deliberate on a formal request from the family of the late Joy St Omer for an independent Commission of Inquiry, clarifying that the government has not yet taken a final stance on the proposal, neither approving nor turning it down.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Monday’s pre-Cabinet briefing, Pierre emphasized that the request was delivered just ahead of last week’s scheduled Cabinet meeting, leaving no time for full deliberation. “That request came to me on Monday morning at 10:20, and the Cabinet met at 11,” the Prime Minister detailed.
Unlike routine administrative matters, Pierre explained that authorizing a formal Commission of Inquiry demands thorough, collective review by the full Cabinet, and cannot be resolved with an impulsive instant decision. “A Commission of Inquiry is not something that I can just say yes or no,” he said. “I just want to make it clear that the Government is very concerned as to the circumstances that surround all deaths.”
Noting that several Cabinet ministers were out of the country or otherwise absent on Monday, Pierre confirmed that even with an incomplete quorum, the body would begin its review of the family’s petition. When pressed for a timeline on when the St Omer family and the general public can expect a formal ruling, Pierre noted that the full process could take as long as 14 days from the date of initial consideration.
Even if Cabinet reaches a final decision during Tuesday’s deliberation, the outcome must still complete a mandatory ratification process before any public announcement, the Prime Minister added. “If a decision is made today, it’ll be ratified next week,” he explained.
Pierre pushed back against any claims that the extended process reflects a lack of urgency or concern from his administration over the 24-year-old’s death. “It’s not because we’re tardy, not because we do not care, but because there are processes, because Cabinet decisions are important decisions, they have repercussions,” he said. The Prime Minister added that the full Cabinet requires adequate time to weigh all relevant legal, procedural, and policy factors before settling on a final position.
Last week, the St Omer family formally submitted a petition to the Governor General under the country’s Commissions of Inquiry Act, calling for an independent review of the systemic and institutional responses to Joy’s pleas for assistance in the lead-up to her death. The family has explicitly stated that it is not seeking to interfere with the ongoing criminal case tied to St Omer’s death, which is already working its way through the national court system.
Instead, the proposed inquiry would focus on evaluating gaps in the institutional response to the case, including how protection orders were processed and enforced, inter-agency communication protocols, and existing procedures for handling reports of domestic and gender-based violence. If the inquiry or the review process identifies systemic flaws that contributed to the tragedy, Pierre confirmed that his government would move quickly to implement necessary reforms.
“If the circumstances warrant any changes in the system, in the processes, the government will surely initiate it,” he said. The Prime Minister also firmly rejected claims that his administration had ignored warning signs or remained indifferent to the risks St Omer faced before her death. “I wanna say to you that the Government did not sit idly by and allow this young lady to lose her life,” Pierre said. “It’s something that we’re very concerned about.”