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Jamaica House of Representatives opens debate on Act to Absolve National Heroes of Criminal Liabilities

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#Jamaica, October 12, 2017 – Kingston – Debate on a Bill to absolve certain National Heroes and their supporters of criminal liability started in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (October 10).   The legislation, the National Heroes and Other Freedom Fighters (Absolution from Criminal Liability in Respect of Specified Events) Act, 2017, was piloted by Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister, Hon. Olivia Grange.

When passed, the Rt. Excellent Sam Sharpe, Rt. Excellent George William Gordon, Rt. Excellent Paul Bogle, and Rt. Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey, as well as their supporters, sympathisers and participants by association, and other freedom fighters, will be absolved of criminal liability arising from their participation in “acts of liberation with moral justification”.

In her remarks, Ms. Grange said the objective is to redeem and restore the dignity and integrity of those who suffered much.

“Our ancestors were of a pedigree that was not daunted by challenges, no matter how great they were or how seemingly unsurmountable the obstacles.   They came to Jamaica shackled and belaboured, but within their fertile minds dwelt the militant cultures they had fashioned back home in the various tribal forces of the (African) continent,” she stated.

“They soon became freedom fighters, ‘buffalo soldiers, stolen from Africa, fighting on arrival, fighting for survival’.   In this prolific and prolonged campaign, they wreaked mayhem and holy war against the oppressors.   They made life difficult for those who would try to rule them, making them realise that, though they would enslave the body, they could not enslave their minds,” she added.   Ms Grange further noted that their fertile minds were in a state of constant preparation for the time when they or their children would be free.

The Culture Minister argued that it would be unjust for the children of the oppressed, who were emboldened by a vision of future liberty for their descendants, to sit silently and allow the names and images of these martyrs for freedom to be tarnished by a brutal uncaring system of governance.

She added that it is the duty of the present generation of Jamaicans, who are inheritors of the new life resulting from the self-sacrifice of our ancestors, to take the bold step and correct the wrongs of the past, and restore the dignity and integrity of the cause for which the nation’s forefathers so willingly died.

“This Bill gives new life to these, our heroes and unsung heroes, and seeks to redress the wrongs and set the captives free,” Ms. Grange stated.

In his contribution, Opposition Member of Parliament for Central Kingston, Rev. Ronald Thwaites, said the legislation would enable an engagement that is “appropriate and valid in law”.

“When law is wrongly applied it must be corrected.   There is a legal as well as a moral imperative to enact.   We are the highest court in the land, and it is of great importance that we should do what we are doing,” he said.

Debate on the Bill will continue at the next sitting of the House of Representatives.

 

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CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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