KINGSTON, Jamaica — Children’s Advocate Diahann Gordon Harrison is expected to make further submission this afternoon to the newly reconstituted joint select committee of Parliament reviewing the Sexual Offences Act and three other pieces of legislation.

The committee has been assigned to review the Sexual Offences Act, and consider and review three others — the Offences Against the Person Act; the Domestic Violence Act; and the Childcare and Protection Act.

It had its preliminary meeting on Wednesday, January 18, at Gordon House.

It was originally formed in July, 2014, to review the said Acts, following upon a motion moved in the Senate by current Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamani Johnson Smith with the objective of improving protection for women, children, persons living with disabilities and the elderly from violence and abuse. However, it had not met since November that year.

The Sexual Offences Act, which was made law in 2011, criminalises marital rape, but is very limited in its application. The Offences Against the Person Act includes legislation relating to acts of buggery.

The committee is chaired by Minister of Justice, Delroy Chuck, and has been seeking written submissions from the public to aid its deliberations. The deadline for submissions to Gordon House is February 28.

The Office of The Children’s Advocate (OCA) was established under the Child Care and Protection Act (2004) in 2006. OCA is a Commission of Parliament mandated to enforce and protect the rights and best interest of children.

Balford Henry