Thank you to US Government, who through the Embassy, and the local teams from CDC, & the INL for this generous donation of nebulising kits, automated external defibrillators and well needed PPEs valued at $4.5 million. Though there are no active COVID-19 cases in the Department of Correctional Services, we continue to be vigilant and increase capacity for future cases of infections.
The Anti-Gang Bill is one step closer to becoming law, with Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of National Security, Senator Matthew Samuda leading the debate on the amendments in the Senate today.
In a statement today, the ministry said the amended Bill, entitled The Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisations) (Amendment) Act, 2021, will sufficiently supplement the Anti-Gang Act, while including appropriate safeguards to bring to its full potential as a legal tool that the justice system can employ in the fight against organised crime.
Samuda said that the specific amendments are designed to address the weaknesses of the principle legislation that led to its underutilisation in the courts.
He told the Senate that the principal legislation is being amended to reflect the recommendations of the Joint Select Committee (JSC), which was established to review amendments to the Bill.
The minister noted that the ministry also considered subsequent court judgments related to the 2014 Act, as well as further consultation with key stakeholders.
“Among the most important considerations throughout this process Mr President, is how seldom the principal legislation has been applied in the courts between the time it came into effect and the period of JSC review,” Samuda said.
He added: “Before the JSC commenced, the courts only handed down two convictions based on the Anti-Gang Act, as a result of guilty pleas. (The Uchence Wilson trial coincided with JSC and several people were convicted on offences under the Act). Consequently, the potential of the legislation to undermine organised crime in Jamaica has not been fully realized,” he added.
