Several pieces of legislation are being amended to provide greater protection for victims of gender-based violence. Work to this end has commenced on the Domestic Violence Act, to broaden the scope and definition of ‘domestic violence’, and the Memorandum of Objects and Reason relating to the draft Firearms Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation Act, 2022, to ensure compliance. This was disclosed...

Members of the public are being encouraged to send in their written submissions on the Bail Bill by Wednesday, November 30. The Bill is now before a Joint Select Committee of both Houses of Parliament, for review. Committee members, during the review process, will have an opportunity to probe the Bill deeply, ask questions and make suggestions for improvements. Minister...

Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Marlene Malahoo Forte, says the review of provisions in the Bail Bill will focus on balancing human rights with safety and security needs. Speaking at a JIS ‘Think Tank’ today (November 16), Minister Malahoo Forte said while the high level of criminality, violence, chaos and disorder is not accepted as normal, the Government...

Cabinet has approved the setting up of a Constitutional Reform Committee, which will play a key role in ensuring Jamaica’s smooth transition to a Republic. Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Marlene Malahoo Forte, said that the body “will be a consultative committee, a collaborative committee where we exchange perspectives”. It will comprise representatives from the Government and Opposition,...

The public is being invited to participate in the upcoming sensitisation sessions of the National Compliance and Regulatory Authority (NCRA). “There will be some sessions for the Food Safety Inspectorate, some for the Compliance Unit and some for the Legal Metrology and Petroleum Inspectorate. Persons can contact the NCRA regarding what we do and the upcoming sensitisations,” Inspector- in-Charge, NCRA...

Jamaicans looking to have holiday favourites such as picnic ham, smoked chicken, and bacon on their plates for Christmas, can do so through the smoked meat facility of the Scientific Research Council (SRC). Persons have until December 8 to submit cuts of meat to the plant for processing. With a turnaround time of 10 days, Team Leader at the Food...

The National Compliance and Regulatory Authority (NCRA) is playing a key role in ensuring that Jamaica has a strong national quality infrastructure (NQI) that creates opportunities for expanding trade, which is crucial to economic development. The NQI is a platform to strengthen the quality and standard threshold for locally produced goods and services based on international benchmarks, and includes standardisation,...