Discussions on proposals for the appointment of a special prosecutor as a corruption czar began in the House of Representatives Thursday.

The bill, titled Corruption Prevention (Special Prosecutor) Act 2008, will establish the office of the special prosecutor for corruption, and will repeal the 2001 Corruption (Prevention) Act and the 1973 Parliament (Integrity of Members) Act.
It was tabled in the Senate in June by Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, who chairs the committee.

The Special Prosecutor's Office bill was among priority legislation promised by Prime Minister Bruce Golding at his inauguration last year. Speaking at yesterday's meeting,
Erica Boswell-Munroe - senior parliamentary counsel in the office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel (CPC) - explained that the bill was among the government's urgent priorities "because the government has identified the eradication of corruption as one of its most urgent priorities".

She said that on September 16, 2005, Jamaica signed the United Nations convention against corruption and that the bill purports to consolidate certain of those provisions relating to corruption, while other provisions were already dealt with under other Acts including the Proceeds of Crime Act and the Mutual Assistance Act.

She pointed out that the bill also purports to repeal the Corruption Prevention Act and the Parliament Integrity of Members Act, and to unify those provisions under a single Act.

It will also provide for the Office of Special Prosecutor for Corruption, which will be an office of Parliament and will have a specific mandate to receive the statutory declarations parliamentarians and public officers and other persons' assets, liabilities and income, and will promote the reporting of corrupt conduct as well as investigate in relation to those reports and prosecute corrupt offenses.

However, she said that the bill will not affect the powers of the Director of Public Prosecutions under section 94 of the constitution.

The committee will meet again on October 2.

Trousers in Denim

Cream of the 'Crop'

Cheeky's World