You & The Law Explains The Quarantine Act

Section 26 (2) of the Disaster Risk Management Act was the legislation used by Prime Minister Andrew Holness on March 14 to declare all of Jamaica a Disaster Area due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. That declaration, in a legal sense, empowers the government to utilize emergency powers to preserve life, property and public health, in ways typically seen after natural disasters such as Earthquakes or Hurricanes. Listen to hear how this act is being used to fight the spread of COVID19.

With Jamaica declared a Disaster Area by the Prime Minister due to the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Such declarations require a legal framework in order to be made. Press play to learn about how this act works and what it does.

On this edition of You and the Law we’ll continuing our look at The Quarantine Act, how it works and what it does. Press play to hear more.

Our Rights as Jamaicans are provided for in the Constitution, specifically Section 13, titled the “Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms”. When and individual is arrested, some of these rights may become restricted. The power of arrest given to officers of the Jamaica Constabulary Force under the Constabulary Force Act, may infringe on some of these rights and should only be done with proper justification. Press play to hear how your rights are affected while in Police Custody on this edition of You & The Law.

Expungement is a legal process where an individual can apply to have previous convictions removed from their criminal records. In Jamaica, the law that provides individuals with this right is The Criminal Justice (Rehabilitation of Offenders) Act, which was first introduced in 1988. Press play to find out more about this important legal issue on this edition of You & The Law.

You can be summoned to court for various reasons ranging from civil matters to criminal cases. However sometimes persons either don’t show up for their appointed court dates or miss them for varied reasons. Press play to find out more about how to handle this issue.