A/HRC/10/70
Page 10
30.
Slovenia noted with appreciation the high percentage of female senior legislative officials
and managers in the Bahamas. It hoped that the discriminatory constitutional provisions
regarding foreign spouses could be made equal for Bahamian men and women in the nearest
possible future. Slovenia noted that the judicial system provides for the right to a fair trial;
however, it faces a large backlog of cases, and delays up to two years are common. Slovenia
asked for information on plans to reduce the backlog of cases in courts. Slovenia was also
concerned at lengthy pre-trial detentions and reports on harsh prison living conditions. The State
report refers to serious overcrowding in prisons. In particular, Slovenia recalled the serious
concerns expressed since 2004 by several special procedures, including those of the Special
Rapporteur on torture and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers,
regarding the ill treatment of detainees at a detention centre housing asylum-seekers. Slovenia
asked for further information about concerns expressed by special procedures regarding the
Carmichael Detention Centre, and recommended that the Government respond without delay.
Slovenia recommended that the Bahamas consider acceding to the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
the Convention against Torture and other relevant human rights instruments. It also
recommended that the Bahamas develop and take measures to deal with the large backlog of
cases in courts. Lastly, it recommended that the Bahamas respond, without delay, to concerns
raised by several special rapporteurs on the conditions of detention in the Carmichael Detention
Centre.
31.
Sweden recommended that the Government continue its efforts to promote gender
equality and consider appropriate legislative changes, including criminalizing marital rape. It
recommended that the Government continue, as a matter of priority, its efforts to prohibit
corporal punishment, of children as well as of adults, and allocate the resources necessary to
allow the full implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Sweden also
recommended that the Government continue its efforts to combat all forms of discrimination and
consider specific measures to promote tolerance and non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual
orientation.
32.
Italy acknowledged with satisfaction the de facto moratorium on executions in the
Bahamas since 2000 and recommended that the Bahamas, in the light of the increasing
awareness of the international community on the matter, as reflected in the General Assembly
resolutions adopted in 2007 and 2008, consider the introduction of a legal moratorium on the use
of the death penalty with a view to abolishing capital punishment in national legislation. Italy
also noted with concern that the Bahamas has one of the highest rates of reported rapes in the
world and a very high incidence of domestic violence. In this respect, Italy recommended that
the Bahamas take effective measures to address this serious social problem and reinforce its
domestic legislation concerning domestic violence against women. Thirdly, Italy asked which
measures the Bahamas intends to take to address the problem of child labour; it joined the
Committee on the Rights of the Child in recommending that the Bahamas take the necessary
measures to prevent child abuse and neglect, and increase its efforts to ensure the registration of
all children at birth. Finally, Italy recommend that the Bahamas develop a national strategy for
human rights education in the school system at all levels, in accordance with the Plan of Action
2005-2009 of the World Programme for Human Rights Education, including the review and
revision of curricula and textbooks, the training of teachers and the practice of human rights in
the school community.
33.
The Bahamas stated that continued allegations of the Bahamas having the world highest
rate of reported cases of rape were not acceptable. The delegation noted that these statistics
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