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GOVERNMENT last night used its parliamentary majority to push through the six anti-crime Bills which have been on the table since 2008, with support from the Opposition on only one of the measures.
The Bills -- an act to amend the Bail Act; and an act to make interim provision extending the powers of arrest and detention under Sections 50B and 50F of the Constabulary Force Act; an act to further amend the Firearms Act; an act to amend the Offences Against the Person Act; an act to amend the Parole Act; and an act to make interim provision in relation to the grant of bail in specified circumstances -- had been in limbo because of differences in opinion over several provisions between the Government and Opposition.
The Opposition, while in support of Government's efforts to unseat criminals at every level, has consistently warned that speedily passing the six bills into law without fundamental changes would be a costly mistake.
Concerns were centred mainly around the mandatory sentencing provisions under the Firearms Act and provisions to extend the Powers of Arrest and Detention under the Constabulary Force Act, restrictions on the granting of bail under the Bail Act, as well as the provisions for bail to be granted under specified circumstances.
Last night, the Government relented on the concerns under the Bail Act as it related to the absolute prohibition of bail for 60 days for a wide variety of offences which had been proposed prior; but held its grounds on the others but for several minor amendments, instead of the fundamental changes sought by the Opposition.
When the debate ended shortly after nine last night, the Opposition remained unswayed and maintained that while the "improvements were acknowledged", only one Bill of the six would receive its support.
The Bills, which were taken individually, were in the end passed 10 to 28 votes in favour of the Government.
One argument which the Government held to in the face of concerns that the 'draconian' measures would open the way to flagrant human rights violations was that the interim Act making provision for the grant of bail in specified circumstances, and the provision extending the powers of arrest and detention under the Constabulary Force Act would only be in effect for one year after being passed into law as they were specifically crafted to help assist efforts to bring the current crime wave under reasonable control.
The Government had expressed an intent to have the provisions passed into law before Parliament's summer break in July.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...-Bills_7736582
The Bills -- an act to amend the Bail Act; and an act to make interim provision extending the powers of arrest and detention under Sections 50B and 50F of the Constabulary Force Act; an act to further amend the Firearms Act; an act to amend the Offences Against the Person Act; an act to amend the Parole Act; and an act to make interim provision in relation to the grant of bail in specified circumstances -- had been in limbo because of differences in opinion over several provisions between the Government and Opposition.
The Opposition, while in support of Government's efforts to unseat criminals at every level, has consistently warned that speedily passing the six bills into law without fundamental changes would be a costly mistake.
Concerns were centred mainly around the mandatory sentencing provisions under the Firearms Act and provisions to extend the Powers of Arrest and Detention under the Constabulary Force Act, restrictions on the granting of bail under the Bail Act, as well as the provisions for bail to be granted under specified circumstances.
Last night, the Government relented on the concerns under the Bail Act as it related to the absolute prohibition of bail for 60 days for a wide variety of offences which had been proposed prior; but held its grounds on the others but for several minor amendments, instead of the fundamental changes sought by the Opposition.
When the debate ended shortly after nine last night, the Opposition remained unswayed and maintained that while the "improvements were acknowledged", only one Bill of the six would receive its support.
The Bills, which were taken individually, were in the end passed 10 to 28 votes in favour of the Government.
One argument which the Government held to in the face of concerns that the 'draconian' measures would open the way to flagrant human rights violations was that the interim Act making provision for the grant of bail in specified circumstances, and the provision extending the powers of arrest and detention under the Constabulary Force Act would only be in effect for one year after being passed into law as they were specifically crafted to help assist efforts to bring the current crime wave under reasonable control.
The Government had expressed an intent to have the provisions passed into law before Parliament's summer break in July.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...-Bills_7736582
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