KINGSTON, Jamaica— Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang, confirmed today that there will be an investigation into tabling of the wrong regulations for the extension of the State of Emergency (SOE) recently declared in St Catherine.

READ: Chang orders investigation into tabling of wrong SOE regulations

Dr Chang tabled the correct regulations- the new Emergency Powers (Parish of St Catherine) (No. 3) Regulations, 2022- today, paving the way for a full debate of the clauses next Tuesday followed by a debate on the issues raised by the speakers.

They replaced the Emergency Powers (Parish of St Catherine) (No. 2) Regulations, 2022, which had been tabled on Tuesday, but had to be withdrawn after it was discovered that it did not include the changes which were made to create the No.3 Regulations.

The minister said that he had reviewed No.3 with the proposed changes, aimed at amending the regulations to include rejections made by the courts, as well as issues raised by human rights activists rejecting aspects of the legislation.

Dr Chang said that he had reviewed proposals to meet the relevant standards indicated by the Supreme Court, which were made by the legal advisers to the government, and the changes were made and documented and had been signed off on by the Governor General and sent to the printers.

He said that he wasn’t sure what had happened between his review and the signing off by the Governor General, which led to the previously laid No.2 document being sent back to Parliament to be tabled.

“As to how it happened and why… I will assure the MPs that I will investigate, because someone has to be held accountable for this grievous mistake,” the minister concluded.

Balford Henry