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Opposition Leader Dr. Peter Phillips has called for the implementation of a National Intelligence Act to tackle crime.
He said there is need to develop legislative framework that will go beyond wiretapping.
Last month, parliament approved an order tabled by National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang to amend The Interception of Communications Act.
It gave authorisation to a cadre of designated officers of the Jamaica Defence Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force to access real-time information in critical situations.
Outlining the importance of the National Intelligence Act, Dr. Phillips argued that "we have to be able to have appropriate legislation which protects the privacy of the citizens while at the same time ensuring accountability for those who have access to and manage the intelligence services in the country."
He noted that for some reason, the country's leader "have never been able to find consensus about how to proceed in this area, and as a consequence of that, there is a yawning gap in our overall legislative and practical infrastructure of law enforcement."
Dr. Phillips was speaking Monday at the signing of the memorandum of understanding on National Consensus on Crime at the Jamaica Conference Centre.
Not essential
Responding to the Opposition Leader, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said a National Intelligence Act is not essential.
Mr. Holness said the government is in the process of developing a National Security Act.
"Once the government starts to move in that direction, you begin to hear all kinds of issues brought up about the government trying to invade privacy, the government trying to undermine certain elements of the society, you know that power could be used in a particular way as part of the competitive process, even though as a government, we were quite clear that we too have started to develop a framework for a National Security Act," he announced.
Mr. Holness did not disclose a timeline for the legislation.
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