The Legs and Regs Project has recognised that there is a need to track the progress of legislative initiatives and to keep the private sector up to date on the status of certain legislation so as to provide a basis for public lobbying to expedite the enactment process. The Project has identified the Electronic Transactions Act, the Credit Reporting Act, the Patent Bill, the Dishonoured Cheques Act, the Cyber Crimes Act and the Data Protection Act as priority legislation and as such is lobbying for the passing of these Acts by Parliament.
| THE ELECTRONIC TRANSACTION ACT |
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| Purpose: |
This piece of legislation falls within the portfolio of the Ministry of Commerce, Science and Technology. It aims at providing an environment for e-commerce in Jamaica and will seek to protect and govern areas such as digital signatures, privacy, intellectual property, security and the legal status of electronic documentation. |
| Status : |
The Ministry of Commerce, Science & Technology has provided draft discussion papers for the proposed regulations for Internet Service Providers as well as for the issuing of electronic certificates of authenticity.
In addition, the E-Transactions Bill was revised and comments are being awaited from the Attorney General and the Permanent Secretary before resubmission to the Legislative Committee. |
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| THE CREDIT REPORTING BILL |
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| Purpose: |
This piece of legislation is aimed at facilitating the operation of a local Credit Bureau and is being handled by the Ministry of Finance and Planning. |
| Status : |
The Ministry of Finance and Planning has advised that comments have been received on the bill and drafting instructions are being prepared to be issued to the Chief Parliamentary Council (CPC). |
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| THE PATENT BILL |
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| Purpose: |
The aim of this act is to replace and repeal the Patents Act. |
| Status : |
Comments are still being awaited from the Attorney General's Office. |
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| THE DISHONOURED CHEQUES ACT |
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| Purpose: |
This piece of legislation will seek to introduce a legal framework that provides a more expeditious remedy for issuance of dishonoured cheques. |
| Status : |
No update available from the Ministry of Finance in this regard. The Project will continue to pursue the issue. |
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| THE CYBER CRIMES ACT |
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| Purpose: |
This act falls within the purview of the Ministry of Justice and seeks to penalise electronic crimes. |
| Status : |
Currently there is a committee comprising of members from several ministries whose mandate it is to examine the issue of cyber crimes. There is also a draft paper submitted by members of the committee on the matter. |
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| DATA PROTECTION ACT |
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| Purpose: |
The Data Protection Act will seek to protect the individual's right to privacy as well as to ensure that personal information is lawfully and fairly obtained, processed, protected and disclosed. |
| Status : |
This legislation will be the purview of the Ministry of Commerce, Science and Technology and research is being done for the preparation of a discussion paper on the subject. Ms. Charmaine Patterson, the key coordinator for this proposed legislation has advised that the draft paper will be circulated by August 2005. |
