The Jamaican government is preparing freedom of information reform legislation, says Phillip Paulwell, the leader of government business in the House of Representatives, according to an article by Daraine Luton in The Gleaner.
“This is four years after Parliament voted for the amendments to take place, but clearly, greater access to information is not a priority of the Government,” Luton wrote.
Paulwell was quoted as saying, “The Office of the Prime Minister aims to have the bill amending the Access to Information Act tabled by the first quarter of 2016.”
The article reviews calls for reform of the 2004 Access to Information Act and promises that were made to get a bill drafted last year. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.)
A Joint Select Committee in 2011 suggested far-reaching changes, including reform of the Official Secrets Act.
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