KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Jamaica government says the new Bail Bill will allow for prescribed records – the record of a bail decision – to be kept.
“So, any decision in respect of a grant or denial of bail has to be in writing, in the prescribed form, and that information is served on the defendant and the prosecution,” said Legal and Constitutional Affairs Minister Marlene Malahoo Forte.
“We have put it in a prescribed form to allow for speed in keeping the record and for consistency and accuracy, and we have specified what must be stated in the record,” she said, adding that any defendant who needs to show that they are on bail can have the record for themselves.
The Bail Act is currently under review by a Joint Select Committee of Parliament. The Legal and Constitutional Affairs Minister, speaking during a JIS interview, said, “any defendant who has been denied bail will get the record to enable them to apply for a review or an appeal of it, and the law sets out very clearly where you appeal to/from.
“You can appeal from a decision of the police to the Parish Court judge, from a decision of the Parish Court Judge to the Supreme Court judge. And now we also have the prosecution right of appeal, and the prosecution will appeal to the Court of Appeal,” she added.
The government is moving to enact legislation to repeal and replace the Bail Act, considering that the existing legislation was enacted before amendments to the fundamental rights and freedoms provisions contained in Chapter III of the Constitution of Jamaica.
There was also the need for new provisions to address circumstances peculiar to Jamaica and greater clarity on specific requirements of the existing Act.
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