The Government will, this year, commence the construction of a new irrigation system in Essex Valley, St. Elizabeth, at a cost of approximately J$1.2 billion (US$10 million). This was announced by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, during Thursday’s (April 14) Ceremonial Opening of Parliament at Gordon House, for the 2016/17 legislative year. Delivering the Throne Speech,...

The Houses of Parliament will be dissolved tomorrow (Feb. 5), ahead of the February 25 General Election. This means that all sittings of the House of Representatives and the Senate will cease until a new government is formed. Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, in announcing the Election Day on Sunday (Jan. 31), said she had advised the...

A Bill dealing with how individuals and organizations can contribute to political parties and candidates, and stipulations regarding the disclosure of the contributions as well as penalties for false and non-disclosures, was passed by the Senate on January 22. Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, who piloted the Bill, said given the role that money plays in politics,...

The House of Representatives has passed 41 Bills since the beginning of calendar year 2015. This was disclosed by Leader of Government Business and Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, during a recent sitting of the Lower House. He also informed that 28 Orders and Resolutions were approved, 37 Ministerial statements made, 27 questions answered and...

Debate on the DNA Evidence Act 2015 will continue in the Senate this week, after Minister of Justice, Hon. Mark Golding, agreed to a request by Opposition Senators to allow them more time to study the Bill, during the sitting of the Upper House on December 4. The House of Representatives recently passed the Bill, which Minister Golding said is...

The Senate, on Thursday, December 3, passed two pieces of legislation aimed at effecting reforms within the justice system. These are the Judicature (Resident Magistrate’s) (Amendment and Change of Name) Act 2015 and the Judicature (Supreme Court) (Amendment) Act. Piloting the Bills, Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, said the Judicature (Supreme Court) (Amendment) Act seeks to establish...

It is being proposed that a National Election Campaign Fund be established for persons to make donations towards the country’s electoral process. This is one of the recommended changes in the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2015, which deals with the issue of campaign financing in Jamaica. Opening the debate on the Bill in the House on November 24,...

Government Senator, Dr. Angela Brown Burke, says the establishment of a final appellate court in Jamaica is not feasible. “A Jamaican final court of appeal is not workable and not desirable at this time,” Senator Brown Burke emphasised. She was making her contribution to the debate on the three Bills, which seek to make the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Jamaica’s...