PHILIPSBURG--Unified Resilient St Maarten Movement (URSM) Member of Parliament (MP) Sjamira Roseburg plans to propose a budget amendment to move approximately Cg. 230,000 in unused funds from one budget post to another so the services of legislative lawyers can be used on a consultancy basis to help address the shortage at the Department of Legal Affairs and Legislation (JZ&W).
Roseburg said her amendment would help put a motion passed in 2025 into effect by allowing the services of legislative lawyers from elsewhere in the Kingdom or Suriname to be used to address the shortage locally.
Roseburg raised the issue during the continuation of Parliament’s debate on the draft 2026 budget on Friday. She said the department does not currently have enough legislative lawyers and that additional consultancy support is needed.
She referred to information from General Affairs that legislative legal support is being worked on through consultancy and asked for an update on the situation involving legislative lawyers in Suriname and how many are currently being sought while awaiting changes to be made.
Roseburg said she believed a change to the budget was necessary because the personnel budget is not being fully used and the department needs additional capacity.
Roseburg said the amendment would move funds from a personnel budget post to consultancy funding. She said this would allow legislative lawyers to be brought in on a consultancy basis and make the support available to the different ministries.
Prime Minister Dr Luc Mercelina had informed MPs in answers to questions posed in the Central Committee meeting on the draft budget, that JZ&W currently has five of its 17 positions filled. The Department Head position is vacant, while only one legislative lawyer is working in the legislation section. The Prime Minister described JZ&W as one of the most critical support departments within the public service and said its staffing situation is a significant concern.
He said the situation has deteriorated further since the budget was prepared. In the short term, available capacity is being directed toward the most urgent legal and legislative matters, while ministries are being asked to prioritize their requests and legislative initiatives.
Government is also exploring external support mechanisms, including a Legislative Support Pool, cooperation with Kingdom partners and the recruitment of a project manager with support from TWO to strengthen legislative planning and coordination.
At the same time, Government has said the current JZ&W function book no longer adequately reflects the department’s responsibilities and workload. A review of the department’s structure and staffing requirements is therefore being pursued.
Government has also stated that there is no simple workaround for the shortage of qualified legislative lawyers, noting that legislative drafting is a highly specialized profession and that capacity cannot be built overnight.
Roseburg said she hopes Parliament will support her proposed amendment so the available funds can instead be used to obtain the legislative support she believes is needed.
