green light today.

For the House of Assembly is expected to back an amendment to regulations governing the service allowing an independent tribunal to decide disputes between rank-and-file officers and management.

Labour and Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness -- who speaks for the Police in the House -- said: "It will provide a legal facility, since the Police are not able to strike, so that whenever there is a dispute it will provide a legal method of referring it to arbitration.

"The outcome will be binding on both parties -- it's to ensure the Police are treated fairly.'' The Act will also legally change the Force into a Service and rename the Reserve Constabulary the Bermuda Reserve Police.

And officers will be given the choice to pay their dues to the Association or donate the cash to charity instead.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Alex Scott said the name change was "cosmetic'' and the Progressive Labour Party had no argument with giving the Police Association more clout in negotiations.

But he added: "I would not be surprised in general debate if other aspects which touch upon the Police -- the ranks, the size of the service, the conditions they are employed under and the ability to advance upward -- come up. It could prove to be interesting.

"But we wouldn't want to see any handicap to allowing officers to pursue their interests.'' Mr. Scott added that some officers felt the Police Association was not "robust or aggressive'' enough in standing up for the rank-and-file and any improvements would be welcome.

He said: "Some officers did not feel comfortable taking their concerns to the Association or felt that it would not provide them with the strong representation they wanted.'' The House is also likely to approve a change in immigration laws to give women equal rights with men in passing on Bermuda status to their children.

Mr. Edness said: "It will clear up the last vestiges of discrimination in our immigration laws.'' Mr. Scott added his party backed women having equal status to men in immigration matters.

He said: "It is a right and a privilege that the Country certainly should be considering, both for women and long-term residents.

"But as we expand these rights we must not lose sight of the rights, privileges and protections that should exist for all.

"What we will be reflecting is a concern in the larger community that all of these initiatives about the effect all these initiatives will have on the Bermudian's mobility to maintain and gain jobs and the increased pressure on economy and infrastructure.''