Jamaican Government targets crime legislation in new parliamentary year
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administratorGovernor General announces raft of legislative action in Throne Speech
The Government of Jamaica has placed a laser focus on legislative steps in the fight against crime this parliamentary year, which started today.
To this extent, Governor General Sir Patrick Allen announced during his annual Throne Speech in Parliament today a raft of legislative measure that will be rolled out to enhance intelligence and forensic capabilities to aid in swift investigation and provision of reliable and legitimate evidence. This is in addition to the continuation of investment in mobility and technology, including expansion of the national CCTV surveillance programme that will be undertaken.
In delivering his Throne Speech, which signals the start of the 2021-2022 legislative year, Sir Patrick told the nation that the Government has advanced the development of four complex priority pieces of legislation which are currently at the draft bill stage. They are An Act to Repeal and Replace the Firearms Act; The Criminal Administration (Suppression of Criminal Organizations) (Amendment) Act; The Immigration Restrictions (Commonwealth Citizens) (Amendment) Act and The Aliens (Amendment) Act.
He advised that, “additionally, the Government will be seeking parliamentary approval for other key policy and legislative measures designed to strengthen our crime fighting efforts, enhance rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders and improve Public Order, including the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (Investigation and Prosecution Procedures) Regulations.”
These legislative measures will be complemented by amendment to the Corrections Act to modernise the framework governing the operations of the Department of Correctional Services and improve care, management and rehabilitation of offenders.
Ramping up health care in light of pandemic
The Governor General also announced that the administration will be ramping up investments in health care given the pandemic. According to Sir Patrick, “while COVID-19 has clearly been the focus in 2020-2021, the Government continues to work on its general health system strengthening initiatives including construction of a five-bed intensive care unit (ICU) for Mandeville Regional Hospital and an expansion of ICU capacity at the Cornwall Regional Hospital, University of the West Indies, Kingston Public and Victoria Jubilee Hospitals”.
This is in addition to the creation of a four-bed high dependency unit space at the Spanish Town Hospital, construction of two facilities – one in the eastern and the other in the western part of the island to provide additional isolation beds and an increase in the number of trained critical care personnel.
“Notwithstanding the pandemic, activities directed towards enhanced vector control and prevention and management of non-communicable diseases have continued through inter-ministerial collaboration and private sector partnerships,” Sir Patrick told Parliament.
He said the pandemic has heightened the need for amendments to modernise the Public Health and Quarantine Acts.
Education among targeted areas of focus
On the education front, he mentioned that following on a successful launch of the Amber HEART Coding Academy, the Government will shortly launch a pilot programme to introduce primary and secondary students to coding skills.
This is being done as Jamaica seeks to develop creators rather than mere users of technology.
For the new fiscal year, renewed focus will be on the Jamaica Teaching Council Bill, and amendments to the Education Act, while also putting efforts on the Children (Adoption of) (Amendment) Bill, the Child Care and Protection (Amendment) Bill and the Access to Information Act and Regulations.
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