Attorney-at-law, Tova Hamilton, was sworn in today (June 26) as a Government Senator, in the Upper House. The new Senator was warmly welcomed by members of the Senate at the start of the sitting, during which she took the Oath of Allegiance. Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, described Senator Hamilton as “young,...

As at June 19, some 6,898 persons had returned to Jamaica and had been landed, since the start of the Controlled Re-Entry Programme. This was disclosed by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of National Security, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, in a statement providing an update on the programme during the sitting of the Senate on Friday (June 19)....

Members of the Senate on Friday (June 12) paid tribute to the late Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Shahine Robinson. Leading the tributes was Government Senator, Kerensia Morrison, who said, Mrs. Robison’s love of the people, especially her constituents, is her strongest legacy. “She loved the people, and the people loved her,” Senator Morrison said during sitting of...

Government Senator Robert Morgan says safeguarding the personal data of Jamaicans has become paramount in an increasingly digital society, and robust legislation and regulatory frameworks must be put in place to adequately protect that information. “We must… do all we can to benefit from a digital society, but at the same time, protect ourselves from its challenges,” he said. Senator...

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...

The Senate, on Thursday (June 4), approved the Fiscal Administration and Audit (Suspension of Fiscal Target Requirements) Order, 2020, to suspend Jamaica’s fiscal rules until March 31, 2021. Members of the House of Representatives approved the measure during its sitting on Tuesday (June 2). Suspension of the fiscal rules has become necessary due to the economic impact of the coronavirus...

The Senate, on Friday (May 29), approved amendments to the Financial Administration and Audit Act, 2020, to extend, by two years, the target date to reduce Jamaica’s debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio to 60 per cent. The legislation will facilitate the extension of the timeline from March 31, 2026 to March 31, 2028. It further amends section 48C/2A...