Justice Minister Says Data Protection Act Should Come Before NIDS

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, says the Government hopes to implement the Data Protection Act, 2020 before the new National Identification System (NIDS) comes into effect.

The Data Protection Act, 2020, which seeks to safeguard the privacy and personal information of Jamaicans, was passed in the Senate on Friday, June 12, 2020.

The Bill, which was approved without amendments in the Lower House on May 19, got the green light in June with three amendments.

Responding to questions from a member of the public, during the virtual town hall meeting by the Joint Select Committee on the National Identification & Registration Act, 2020, on January 27, Minister Chuck outlined that the regulations were being worked on.

“Once these are completed, the likelihood is that the Data Protection body will be set up,” Mr. Chuck said.

“I suspect that it will be a matter of months before everything comes into operation. I can’t give you an exact date, but I know the Government is working to put it into operation, and there’s a real likelihood… and we hope it will be before the implementation of the NIDS Bill,” he added.

Meanwhile, Attorney General, Hon. Marlene Malahoo Forte, said implementation of the Data Protection Act will be critical to the implementation of the NIDS law.

For her part, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, pointed out that the NIDS September date announced is for the “technical capacity to deliver”.

“Where we are in terms of the technical work that’s being done, building out of the security platforms and protocols, we will be in a position as at September 1, all things remaining equal, to start that process,” she said.