Connecticut House Bill HB05838

Connecticut 2023 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/18/23
• Refer: 1/18/23

Caption

An Act Concerning Human Rights Referees Employed By The Commission On Human Rights And Opportunities.

Impact

The implications of HB 5838 aim at improving the adjudication process for human rights disputes by creating more qualified referees. By requiring extensive legal experience, the legislation intends to enhance the decision-making quality in the hearings related to human rights issues. Additionally, the bill grants the presiding referee the authority to consult with the parties involved in determining the location for hearings and other related conferences, which could streamline the proceedings and cater to the needs of the involved parties more effectively.

Summary

House Bill 5838 focuses on revising the employment qualifications and procedural roles of human rights referees within the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities in Connecticut. The bill stipulates that a human rights referee is required to be an attorney who has been admitted to practice law in Connecticut for at least ten years. This amendment seeks to enhance the professional requirements for referees, presumably to ensure a higher standard of legal expertise in adjudicating human rights cases.

Contention

There are potential points of contention surrounding this bill, particularly regarding the implications of requiring ten years of legal experience. Critics might argue that this provision could limit the pool of referees and slow down the processing of human rights cases, particularly in underserved areas where qualified candidates are scarce. Furthermore, the transition from 'human rights referee' to 'human rights magistrate' could spark debates about the implications of this change in terminology and what it signals about the status and authority of these adjudicators in the human rights legal framework.