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The Senate on Thursday, March 21, passed a Bill to prosecute persons involved in the illegal lottery scam. Some 14 amendments have been made and it will be sent back to the House for approval. The Bill Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act addresses, among other things: obtaining any property or inducing any person to confer any benefit on...

The Senate has approved Regulations facilitating the placement of spikes on the toll road off ramps, in an effort to deter motorists from reversing onto the road. Tyre deflation devices, or spikes, are used to impede or stop the movement of vehicles by puncturing their tyres. Opening the debate on Friday, March 8, Justice Minister, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding,...

The Senate, on Friday, February 15, passed three Bills to remove flogging and whipping from the country’s statute books. The Bills passed were: the Larceny (Amendment) Act 2012; the Law Reform (Flogging and Whipping) (Abolition) Act, 2012; and the Obeah (Amendment) Act 2012. Cabinet gave approval for the drafting of the Bills, which are in support of the Government’s commitment...

Government Senator, Lambert Brown, is supporting a call for legislation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which seeks to safeguard the welfare of persons in the workplace. “The Occupational Safety and Health Act is essential in protecting the workers and their families. It is good for employers (as it) will save them from having to face compensation (and) lost...

The White Paper on the National Workplace Policy on HIV and AIDS was tabled in the Senate on Friday, February 8. The policy is a framework for action by the Government, employers and workers to deal effectively with HIV/AIDS in places of employment. It is based on the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) principles on HIV/AIDS in the workplace. It takes...

The Senate on Friday (February 1) approved a Resolution increasing the monetary jurisdictional limits of the Resident Magistrate’s Court in civil matters. Section 129A of the Judicature (Resident Magistrates) Act empowers the Minister by Order, subject to affirmative Resolution, to increase the monetary jurisdictional limits of the Resident Magistrate’s Court in civil matters. Some of the specific increases include: for...

A Bill providing for the protection of Jamaica’s plant genetic resources was passed in the Senate on Friday (January 18). The Bill, the Protection of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Act, facilitates Jamaica’s compliance with its obligations under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The Treaty was approved by the United Nations Food...

The Senate on Thursday, March 21, passed a Bill to prosecute persons involved in the illegal lottery scam. Some 14 amendments have been made and it will be sent back to the House for approval. The Bill Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act addresses, among other things: obtaining any property or inducing any person to confer any benefit on...

Government Senator Lambert Brown has suggested that a review of the National Insurance Act has become necessary in order to give more power to the Minister to increase the benefits to contributors when required. He argued that it wasn’t necessary to ask Parliament for amendments to the Act to facilitate an increase as “these adjustments come very often given the...

A Bill seeking to amend the Consumer Protection Act, to improve the efficiency of the legislation and strengthen the authority of the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) in resolving consumer disputes, was debated and passed in the Senate on December 7. The Bill, entitled: ‘An Act to Amend the Consumer Protection Act’, was approved with seven amendments.  It was initially debated...

Legislation aimed at improving the management of public debt was passed on November 30 in the Senate. The Public Debt Management Act will repeal the Loan Act of 1964 and several enactments related to the raising of loans by the Government. Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, who opened the debate, explained that while the existing legislative framework...

The Evidence (Special Measures) Act 2012 was passed in the Senate on November 23. The Bill seeks to introduce special measures that can be used to facilitate the giving of evidence by vulnerable witnesses and other specified witnesses. Opening the debate, Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, noted that the Bill provides for the admission of video recorded...