Proposed changes to how computer-generated evidence is introduced in court are expected to significantly reduce delays and costs associated with this procedure. The adjustments are contained in the Evidence (Amendment) Bill, 2014, which was passed in the Senate on Friday (May 8) with 10 amendments. The Bill seeks to enhance the efficiency of Jamaica’s justice system, by providing a simpler...

The development of legislation in Jamaica is expected to be vastly improved, as those involved in the process will be provided with a new Legislative Policy Manual to guide them. Currently at the draft stage, the manual, developed by the Ministry of Justice through the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, will help to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the...

Public sector professionals responsible for the drafting of legislation are being urged to carry out this duty with the utmost rigour and diligence. The charge comes from Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, who said that there is no place for “intellectual laziness and sloppiness” in the country’s legislative development process. “There is no escaping it – legislative...

Public Defender, Arlene Harrison-Henry, has extended an invitation for caring members of the society, to partner with her office on an awareness campaign aimed at protecting the rights of children. She issued the invitation on Monday (May 4), while addressing the weekly meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Kingston, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in St. Andrew. Citing...

Both Houses of Parliament have emphasised that the management of quarries must be improved and that penalties for illicit quarrying will be increased. This follows the Senate’s nod, on May 1, of the legislation which will govern the process - An Act to Amend the Quarries Control Act. The Bill was also passed in the House of Representatives at its...

The following is a statement from the Honourable Attorney General Patrick Atkinson, Q.C.. The statement reads: “It is with deep concern that I have heard the reports of serious criminal charges being laid against members of the Bar, including some senior attorneys at law. I recognize that, like any other citizen, they are entitled to the presumption of innocence. Nonetheless,...

Prime Minister the Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller is calling for Jamaicans at all levels of society to see the protection and education of the nation’s children as the responsibility of all. The Prime Minister’s appeal came as she addressed the official opening and naming of the new Hanover Co-operative Credit Union (HCCU) building in Lucea, Hanover on Thursday April...