Two independent senators and the Opposition Senate Leader spoke of the need to modernise Bermuda's laws to promote good governance yesterday.

Sen. Walwyn Hughes welcomed calls for public access to information and said he would have liked to see a commitment to more open government in this year's Throne Speech.

Senate President Alf Oughton said now was a good time to bring the Island's "archaic" laws into line with other countries in the Commonwealth.

And in his maiden speech as Opposition Senate Leader, Sen. Michael Dunkley said if the Government wanted to look at updating the Corporations of Hamilton and St. George's legislation to increase transparency and good governance, they should do so as well.

Speaking after initially raising the subject in the Upper House, Sen. Hughes told The Royal Gazette: "If Government is going to be asking others to be transparent, it needs to make sure it is doing likewise.

"Public access to information or PATI legislation is all part of that. I think we can do a lot more in those areas and in the conduct of our own parliament."

This newspaper's A Right to Know: Giving People Power campaign wants to see PATI legislation tabled in the House of Assembly this year and the meetings of publicly funded bodies opened up to taxpayers.

Sen. Hughes brought up the issue of transparency during yesterday's Senate debate on the Throne Speech in reference to Government's plans to modernise the Corporations of Hamilton and St. George.

"I guess we'd have to think part of that modernisation is to bring greater transparency to those municipalities," he told the Senate. "If we are going to be putting pressure on other agencies and organisations to be transparent we want to make sure that we are doing the same ourselves."

He later told this newspaper that there was no reason for parliamentary committees such as the Public Accounts Committee to meet in private.

"There is no reason why they couldn't be open to the public," he said. "That would all be positive, I think."

Speaking during the debate on the Throne Speech, Sen. Oughton said: "I have seen a number of comments that this is possibly a good time to consider reviewing rules and legislations to bring them in line with other legislation in the Commonwealth, and I agree."

Sen. Oughton pointed to recommendations for greater transparency made by a study group hosted by the Legislature of Bermuda on behalf of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in 2006.

Referring to some of Bermuda's laws as archaic, he said: "The recommendation was that every nation in the Commonwealth follows this. Unfortunately, Bermuda's legislation doesn't fall into this category."

He called for Government to set up a joint committee from both political parties to review the study group's recommendations.

Sen. Dunkley questioned the motive of the Throne Speech pledge to modernise the Corporations of Hamilton and St. George's.

"Is this about power and control or is it more about good governance?" he asked. "What about all the people in Bermuda? Don't they deserve good governance ¿ not just the people of Hamilton and St. George's? If we can improve the good governance for them why can't we do it for everybody and bring freedom of information legislation, open up committee meetings, have drug testing for Members of Parliament?"

The three men also spoke of the proposed self-regulating Press Council, which Government promised in the Throne Speech.

Sen. Hughes told fellow senators he hoped it would make no attempt to censor the Island's newspapers. He said press councils had had mixed success around the world and cited the UK's Press Complaints Commission as a good example of how it could be done.

He said it could be difficult to ensure the independence of a Press Council here because of the Island's size. "It's not so much controlling what they say but that it's in good taste in the way it's presented," he added.

Sen. Oughton said: "It happens elsewhere. However, we must always protect the freedom of the press, providing it's within certain regulatory guidelines."

Sen. Dunkley said: "There has been talk about a press council and I chuckle because I want to see how they will manage themselves. I would like to see what outside forces are going to try and take control of it."

Government Senate Leader David Burch said he was "delighted" at the thought of a press council.

"I can't imagine a more better means of trying to get some semblance of sense round here in terms of reporting," said the Home Affairs Minister.

"I think it would be poetic justice if the daily had to be subject to a press council of its peers chaired by the Editor of the Bermuda Sun."

Ruth O'Kelly-Lynch contributed to this report.