Government Senator, Abka Fitz-Henley, says the Government has been working assiduously and making gains in improving service delivery in the health sector. He noted that more than $14 billion has been invested in upgrading western Jamaica’s premier medical care institution, the Cornwall Regional Hospital, and more than $6 billion on expansion work at several other facilities, including the Spanish Town...

Government Senator, Abka Fitz-Henley, is challenging workers in the private and public sectors to be more productive in 2024. “The challenge is to ask yourself, what can I do to be more productive this year and onwards, to turn out better outcomes in a shorter space of time. I call for the creation of plans and strategies towards achieving this...

Members of the Senate, on Thursday (December 21), passed the Domestic Violence (Amendment) Act, which will provide greater protection to victims of domestic violence. The legislation has been amended to provide for increased penalties for breach of Protection Orders from a maximum of $10,000 to a maximum of $1 million, and a sentence of up to one year in prison....

Plans are under way to expand the country’s animal tagging programme to include small ruminants. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, provided an update on the National Animal Identification and Traceability System while piloting the Agricultural Produce (Amendment) Act, 2023 in the Senate, recently. As a means of combatting praedial larceny, the Government...

The Agricultural Produce (Amendment) Act, which will facilitate the imposition of harsher penalties for praedial larceny, was passed in the Senate on Friday (December 15). The maximum fine for breaches under the law will now move from $250,000 or three months in prison, to $3million or three years in prison. In piloting the legislation, Leader of Government Business in the...

The Senate, on Friday (November 3), passed the Copyright (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 2023. The legislation was piloted by Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill. In his remarks, Senator Hill said an amendment to the Act is required because the Regulations to accompany the legislation are not yet in place. He stated that the Copyright...

The Bail Act 2023, which will repeal and replace the existing legislation of 2000, was approved with one amendment by the Senate during its sitting on Friday (October 6). The new law will permit the granting of bail at three stages – pre-charge, post charge and post-conviction – in defined cases. It was reviewed by a Joint Select Committee of...