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The Senate gave approval on Friday (June 18) to two Bills postponing Local Government Elections to 2011. The elections, which were to be held by June 30 this year, are now scheduled to be held no later than March 30, 2011. Bills amending the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) Act and the Parish Councils Act to allow for the...

The Protected Disclosure Bill, which seeks to encourage and facilitate specified disclosures of improper conduct in the public interest and to protect employees who make the specified disclosures, was tabled in the Senate, today (June 11). The Bill was tabled by Minister of Justice and Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Hon. Dorothy Lightbourne. According to the Memorandum of...

The Senate on Friday (April 23) passed the Appropriation Bill, giving approval to the Government's estimated expenditure of $503.9 billion for the financial year 2010/11. The Bill, piloted by Leader of Government Business and Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, was approved by the House of Representatives on April 21. When broken down, the figures show that...

The Financial Investigations Division (FID) Act, which gives the Financial Investigations Division in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, the authority to probe crimes involving money laundering and fraud, as well as the financing of terrorist activities, was approved by the Senate on Friday (March 26). Leader of Government Business in the Senate and Minister of Justice, Senator...

The Senate yesterday (March 19), passed the Casino Gaming Act and the amended Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act. The Casino Gaming Act seeks to establish a Casino Gaming Commission, which will regulate the conduct of casino gaming, and have powers to grant licences to operators within an approved integrated resort development. The body will also have authority to grant personal...

The Senate passed the Regulations to the Terrorism Prevention Act, setting out the procedures to be followed by entities in their business operations, to ensure against supporting terrorism financing or offences, Friday (March 19). The Act addresses a variety of issues with respect to terrorist financing, ranging from the prohibition of funding terrorist acts, to the monitoring of financial institutions,...

The Senate, on Friday (March 12), approved amendments to the Terrorism Prevention Act, paving the way for the passage of regulations and to impose heavier penalties for breaches. "Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, in May 2009, committed to have the Terrorism Prevention (Reporting Entities) Regulation in force by the end of the financial year," said...

Amendments to the Financial Administration and Audit Act and the Public Bodies Management and Accountability Act were passed in the Senate on Friday (March 12), as part of measures to implement a fiscal responsibility framework in Jamaica. Leader of Government Business and Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, who piloted both Bills, stated that the fiscal responsibility framework will provide...

The Senate has approved changes to the Labour Relations and Industrial Disputes (Amendment) Act, which will allow non-unionised workers access to arbitration at the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT). Only one amendment was made to the Bill, which was passed in the House of Representatives in October, 2009. It was piloted through the Senate on Friday (February 26) by Minister of...

The Jamaican Senate paid tribute to the life and works of the late Vice-Chancellor Emeritus of the University of the West Indies, (UWI), the Hon. Professor Ralston "Rex" Nettleford O.M., during its sitting on Friday (February 5) at Gordon House, Kingston. Professor Nettleford died at the George Washington Hospital, Washington D.C. on Tuesday (February 2), hours before he turned 77,...

The Senate, on Friday (Jan. 22), passed the Government Dematerialisation Act, 2010, with 27 amendments, during its sitting at Gordon House in Kingston. The Bill, which was tabled and piloted by Leader of Government Business, Senator the Hon. Dorothy Lightbourne, seeks to make it compulsory for every investor or owner to convert Government securities held into dematerialised or electronic format,...

The Cybercrimes Act, with sanctions for the misuse of computer systems or data and to facilitate investigation and prosecution of such crimes, was passed on Friday (December18) in the Senate. Leader of Government Business and Attorney General, Senator the Hon. Dorothy Lightbourne, explained that the Act provides criminal sanctions for unauthorised access to and use of computer systems and data...