PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Public meeting on December 18, 2025.

The Public meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 11.00 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda points are:

1. Incoming documents
2. Ratification of the founding document of the Parliamentary Alliance for Climate Action (IS/1219/2024-2025 dated June 30, 2025)

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.sx and www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament

PHILIPSBURG:--- On 12 December 2025, the Court of First Instance ruled in favor of the Minister of Justice, affirming the lawful and proper application of the early conditional release framework under the Criminal Code.
The ruling follows a case brought by a detainee who objected to the refusal of early conditional release, despite being included in an internal assessment related to the management of limited detention capacity.
In its judgment, the Court confirmed that detainees do not have an individual or enforceable right to early conditional release. As a general rule, convicted persons are required to serve their sentence until the normal moment of conditional release, unless the Minister determines that proven and exceptional pressure on detention capacity justifies the application of Article 1:37 of the Criminal Code.
The Court held that the Minister reasonably arrived at her decision and that the refusal was carefully, transparently, and adequately reasoned. The decision was based, among other considerations, on advice from the Central Probation Board (CCR) and an assessment of the detainee’s conduct during detention.
Furthermore, the Court determined that the Minister did not act in violation of the principle of equality, meaning that all detainees are assessed using the same standards, and that no element of arbitrariness was present. The Court made clear that comparisons with individual cases do not create a legal right to early conditional release.
With this ruling, the Court confirms that the Minister of Justice has correctly interpreted and lawfully applied the early conditional release mechanism as codified in the Criminal Code. This judgment is consistent with the earlier ruling of the Court of Appeal, which also confirmed that early conditional release is not a right but an exceptional measure. It reinforces that these decisions are taken carefully, equally, and strictly within the framework of the law.
The Court further clarified that Article 1:37 of the Criminal Code is clear, complete, and directly applicable in its current form, without the need for additional policy rules, provided that each decision is assessed on an individual basis and properly substantiated.

WILLEMSTAD/PHILIPSBURG:--- The key outcome of the second meeting of the National Payment Council (NPC) in 2025 was the decision to jointly organize an information session for the business community on innovative payment options. This meeting took place on December 1 in Sint Maarten and on December 9 in Curaçao, at the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS). During the meeting, various other topics related to the payment system were discussed, including local payment card fees, payment fraud, and the further development of Instant Payment functionalities.

A growing number of innovative payment methods are available in Curaçao and Sint Maarten, including link- and QR-code-based payments. This is a positive development, as it makes payments fast, convenient, and efficient for consumers and businesses. However, entrepreneurs are not always aware of these developments, which can lead to unnecessary extra costs and reduced ease of payment for customers. For this reason, the members of the NPC have decided to take the initiative to jointly organize an information session for the business community on innovative payment options.

One of the main outcomes of the NPC meetings held in June 2025 was the joint launch of an awareness campaign against payment fraud. New and innovative payment methods entail different types of risks, such as online payment fraud. This type of fraud can result in financial losses and diminished confidence in digital payments. In November 2025, the NPC launched an online campaign to raise awareness about online payment fraud and explain how to respond when confronted with it. Given its importance to society, the NPC has decided to repeat the campaign in 2026.

Finally, developments relating to Instant Payments were also discussed. This technology is currently being used to process local interbank payments in real time. In addition to enabling low-cost payments through online stores, in physical stores, and for person-to-person transactions without a payment card, it is also technically possible to provide international instant payments between Curaçao and Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Aruba, and the Netherlands. The CBCS will explore these possibilities in 2026.
The CBCS thanks the NPC members for their active participation in these meetings and looks forward to continuing to work with the NPC to enhance the payment system in Curaçao and Sint Maarten.

Willemstad, December 18, 2025 CENTRALE BANK VAN CURAÇAO EN SINT MAARTEN

The NPC is a platform for payment system policy dialogue between the competent authorities, the CBC,S and stakeholders, ensuring a balanced representation of public and private interests.
Beyond the competent authorities, the membership of the NPC is limited to a core group of institutions deemed relevant to specific issues under discussion, including representatives of payment service providers, such as the banking associations of Curaçao and Sint Maarten and the Curaçao Fintech Association, and of payment service users in the Countries, such as government agencies, utilities as well as consumer and business associations.
The NPC is also the place where payment service providers (PSPs) and users can share and discuss their expectations and challenges, and potentially translate them into new functionalities within the national payment system. The main objectives of the NPC are: policy development, security and efficiency, financial inclusion, interoperability, education, and awareness.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Judicial Institutional Services (J&IS) in partnership with the Miss Lalie Center (MLC), successfully hosted a “Sip and Paint” rehabilitation event on Monday, December 8, 2025. The initiative provided inmates with a constructive and creative outlet designed to promote emotional well-being and personal development.
The event was facilitated by J&IS Probation Officers Ivan Plantein, Samantha Phillips, and Shakainah Pompier, with support from MLC Pedagogic Worker A, Mr. Merkman, and the rest of the team, who offered motivational guidance and created an atmosphere that encouraged open expression and self-reflection.
Throughout the session, participants explored painting as a means of relaxation and communication. In a spontaneous, uplifting moment, inmates encouraged 1 Pedagogic Worker and 1 Correctional Officer to join the activity, sparking a friendly “inmates versus MLC Team” art challenge. This interaction fostered trust, mutual respect, and positive engagement between staff and inmates, key objectives in both agencies’ rehabilitation efforts.
During the reflection phase, inmates expressed gratitude for the opportunity, noting that many had not participated in creative activities since their school years. They described the session as calming, inspiring, and a valuable escape from the daily pressures of incarceration. Several participants requested similar creative expression programs in the future, emphasizing the benefit of incorporating creative outlets into their rehabilitation journey.
J&IS facilitators also praised the event’s impact. “Seeing the inmates tap into their creativity was truly rewarding,” one officer noted. “These activities strengthen communication, build confidence, and support the broader goal of meaningful rehabilitation.” From a probation perspective, this activity also strengthened essential human skills such as emotional regulation, patience, focus, respectful communication, teamwork, and self-awareness, all of which are critical for successful reintegration into society. Creative expression activities are often underestimated in rehabilitation, yet they play a decisive role in helping individuals process emotions, reduce stress, and develop healthier coping skills, said the Director of J&IS, Cynthia Clarke-Filemon.
Both J&IS and MLC confirm their commitment to expanding rehabilitative programming through continued creative, educational, and therapeutic initiatives that build life skills, support behavioral change, and prepare inmates for successful reintegration into the community.