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...

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...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, will update the nation on the timelines for the return of the remaining Jamaican seafarers to the island in short order. The seafarers, on board cruise ships and other vessels, have been stranded at sea, due to coronavirus (COVID-19)  travel restrictions. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson...

Two companion Bills, aimed at revolutionising the country’s land-titling system, are expected to be passed during the next sitting of the Senate. These are the Registration of Titles Cadastral Mapping and Tenure Clarification (Special Provisions) (Amendment) Act, 2020 (SPA); and the Registration of Titles (Amendment) Act, 2020 (RTA). Leader of Government Business, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, who piloted the...

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...