The Senate, on February 13, passed a Resolution requiring the Supreme Court to make the final determination on which Opposition Senators are duly appointed as members of the Upper House, following the ruling in the case: ‘Williams versus Holness’. The matter has arisen based on last week’s Constitutional Court ruling that the removal of Arthur Williams and Dr. Christopher Tufton...

A Bill to amend the Dangerous Drugs Act, to decriminalize ganja for medicinal, religious, scientific and therapeutic purposes, was passed in the Senate on Friday, February 6, with five amendments. Piloted by Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, the Bill seeks to make the possession of small quantities of ganja, amounting to two ounces or less, a non-arrestable...

The Government is expected to make an announcement regarding the issuing of licences for the development of casino resorts by the end of March. Speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, February 3, Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips, said five applications have been received to date, two of which were deemed suitable for further...

The Civil Service Establishment (General) Order Resolution 2014 was approved by the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, February 3. In piloting the legislation, Minister with Responsibility for Public Service in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Hon. Horace Dalley, noted that the Order indicates changes that have been made in the civil service establishment since 2013. He explained that part one refers...

Debate on the Evidence (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to introduce significant reforms in the justice system, was suspended in the Senate, on January 23. Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, explained that this was due to concerns raised by Senators on certain sections of the Bill. “I have listened to the points made in the debate and I...

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. A.J. Nicholson, has reiterated that there is no need for a referendum on whether Jamaica should adopt the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as its final court of appeal. Responding to comments made in one of the daily newspapers on December 21, 2014, by former Prime Minister, Hon. Edward Seaga, who...

Debate has started on the Constitution (Amendment) (Local Government) Act, which seeks to entrench local governance in the Constitution. The legislation is in keeping with recommendations made in the August 1993 Report on the Constitution of Jamaica and the May 1995 final report of the Joint Select Committee of the Houses of Parliament on Constitutional and Electoral Reform. The reports...

Debate has started on the Constitution (Amendment) (Local Government) Act, which seeks to entrench local governance in the Constitution. The legislation is in keeping with recommendations made in the August 1993 Report on the Constitution of Jamaica and the May 1995 final report of the Joint Select Committee of the Houses of Parliament on Constitutional and Electoral Reform. The reports...