THE Parliamentary Special Committee submitted its report on the IPCMC (Independent Police Complaints of Misconduct Commission) Bill to the government last week. The Bill was on Parliament’s Dec 3 Order Paper. At the last minute, the government deferred the reading to March next year. Why?

A friend recalled that I had said the IPCMC Bill gives less investigative power to the IPCMC than the EAIC (Enforcement Agency Investigation Commission) has. He also recalled I had said that while the EAIC is toothless, the IPCMC is both toothless and limbless. He then wondered if the Bill was deferred because CSOs (civil society organisations) were so critical of it.