The report of the Joint Select Committee to review the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisations) Act, 2014, commonly called the anti-gang legislation, was adopted in the Senate on June 4. The report was previously adopted in the House of Representatives, on May 27. In his remarks, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of National Security, Hon. Matthew Samuda, said...

Jamaica has risen two places on the Global Press Freedom index, and now ranks sixth among 180 countries that most respect freedom of information.  Published annually by Reporters Without Borders, a non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) based in Paris, the index evaluates the level of freedom available to the media throughout the world. The new ranking was highlighted by Leader of Government Business in the Upper...

Enhanced security measures implemented under ongoing States of Public Emergency (SOEs) must continue, even as the country grapples with curtailing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). This was emphasised by Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, who argued that order and law enforcement remain critical as the Government implements public health measures to contain the spread of the virus. “Criminals...

The Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedure) Regulations 2020 was passed in the Senate on March 27. The Regulations now give effect to the provisions of the MOCA Act, which include the establishment of MOCA as a statutory law-enforcement agency with operational independence and authority. Piloting the Regulations, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry...

As of Tuesday (March 31), retailers found to be charging customers excessive prices for goods during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis can be fined up to $2 million or sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. This is provided in the Trade (Sale of Goods During Period of Declaration of Disaster Area) Order 2020, which was approved in the Senate on March...

The Senate on Friday (March 27) passed the Appropriation Act 2020, approving the $853.5 billion the Government intends to spend in the 2020/21 Estimates of Expenditure. This Bill provides authority for expenditure (other than statutory expenditure) for the financial year 2020/21 and specifies the manner in which the money is to be allocated to the various services and purposes of the...

Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator Robert Morgan, says once the Forestry Department has completed its 250-kilometre ground-truthing exercise, specific legislation will be promulgated to safeguard the Cockpit Country Protected Area boundary. Making his contribution to the 2019/2020 State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on February 7, he pointed out that the Forestry Department...