More

The House of Representatives, on February 26, approved three Bills to remove flogging and whipping from the country’s statute books as a penalty for any offence. Bills passed were: the Larceny (Amendment) Act 2012; the Law Reform (Flogging and Whipping) (Abolition) Act, 2012; and the Obeah (Amendment) Act 2012. The practice of whipping and flogging ceased in Jamaica’s penal institutions...

Legislation to strengthen the efforts of law enforcement to effectively combat the illicit lottery scam was laid before the House of Representatives on February 26. The Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act 2012, which was tabled by Minister of National Security, Hon. Peter Bunting, makes specific provisions for offences relating to advanced fee fraud and other fraudulent transactions. According...

The Government’s proposed budget for 2013/2014 is to be laid in the House of Representatives in the afternoon of Thursday, April 4, following presentation of the Throne Speech by Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, in the morning. This was noted on Wednesday, February 27, by Minister with responsibility for Information, Senator the Hon. Sandrea Falconer,...

A Bill to facilitate the withdrawal of $11.4 billion annually from the National Housing Trust (NHT), to provide budgetary support for the Government over the next four years, was tabled in the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, February 26. The Bill, entitled the National Housing Trust (Special Provisions) Act 2013, was tabled by Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the...

Legislation to regularise withdrawals from the Capital Development Fund (CDF), which were carried out in contravention of the Bauxite Production Levy Act, was passed on Tuesday, February 19, in the House of Representatives. The Bauxite (Production Levy) (Validation and Indemnity) Act, which was piloted by Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips, also indemnifies the public servants,...

A Bill to establish the Building Act to facilitate the adoption and efficient application of the National Building Code will be brought to both Houses of Parliament in the near future. This was disclosed by Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, during a sitting of the Senate on Friday, February 8. The Minister was contributing to the debate...

Minister with Responsibility for Sports, Hon. Natalie Neita Headley, announced on February 28 that the National Sports Policy will be tabled in Parliament in another two weeks. This follows a presentation on the White Paper, and discussions with local sport associations and federations at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston. Speaking at the forum, Minister Neita Headley named the...

The Judicature (Resident Magistrates) Act (Increase in Jurisdiction) Order, 2013 was tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, February 5. The Order was tabled by Leader of Government Business in the House and Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Phillip Paulwell. Section 129A of the Judicature (Resident Magistrates) Act empowers the Minister by Order, subject to affirmative...

The first Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for fiscal year 2012/2013 was tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, February 5, by Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips. It reveals that the budget has been revised downwards from $612.4 billion to $602 billion, a reduction of $9.89 billion. The Estimates show a decrease in the recurrent,...

The Interim Report by the Public Defender on the incursion of the security forces into Tivoli Gardens and related matters has been delayed for over five months and is still not completed. After repeated missed deadlines for its tabling in Parliament, the Parliamentary Commission headed by the Speaker, the Hon. Michael Peart, met with the Public Defender, Mr. Earl Witter,...

Debate on a motion urging the House of Representatives to take the necessary steps to rename the Throne Speech as the ‘People’s Speech’, began in the Lower House on January 22. Opening the debate, Member of Parliament for North East St. Elizabeth, Raymond Pryce, noted that the motion identifies an outstanding matter which, when passed, can complete another aspect of...

Member of Parliament for North East St. Elizabeth, Raymond Pryce, is calling for debate on the decriminalisation of marijuana (cannabis sativa) as well as a prescribed legal limit for possession. “This Parliament should debate the practicality, as a human rights issue, the determination of a prescribed amount of cannabis sativa, at or below which there will be no criminal prosecution...