Jacqueline Cummings, President of the Jamaican Bar Association
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Jacqueline Cummings
Jamaican Bar Association President Jacqueline Cummings has said she is shock at Tuesday's passage of the Terrorism Prevention (Designated Reporting Entity) (Attorneys-at-Law) Order in the House of Representatives.
The order, which falls under the Terrorism Prevention Act, will require lawyers to disclose information which could link their clients to terrorism.
Ms Cummings said the Bar Association is concerned about the passage of the order without consultation because it is convinced that "if (the government) really are interested in ensuring that these bills stand up to scrutiny and to our courts, that consultation is the avenue to go before you promulgate these bills."
She said, similar to the Bar Association's argument against the Proceeds of Crime Act, the provision in the order requiring members to report suspicious transactions will breach attorney-client privilege.
The Bar Association is awaiting the Court of Appeal's ruling on its challenge of the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Prior to the passage of the legislation on Tuesday, Opposition MP Anthony Hylton warned the government to tread carefully given that the ruling is pending.
Attorney General Marlene Malahoo Forte in responding to the Opposition's concerns argued that Jamaica has an international obligation to put in place a framework to deal with suspicious transactions in light of terrorism financing concerns.
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