Gov’t unclear about PNP’s arguments in NIDS case
ATTORNEY GENERAL Marlene Malahoo Forte yesterday struggled to rebut allegations that at least one aspect of the National Identification System (NIDS) will treat Jamaicans unfairly in comparison to non-Jamaicans who try to access goods and services on the island.
Attorney-at-law Michael Hylton, QC, who is heading a People’s National Party (PNP) challenge of the NIDS Act, argued that Section 41, which deals with the mandatory registration under NIDS in order to access goods and services, puts Jamaicans at a disadvantage.
“The act requires Jamaicans to be registered under the act and to provide their registration in order to access goods or services from a public body. It does not make the same requirements for non-Jamaicans,” Hylton outlined to the Supreme Court yesterday.
“So a Jamaican falling sick and who goes to a public hospital could not be treated, or the public body could refuse treatment if the person cannot provide proof of registration,” he argued. “A nonJamaican who is visiting Jamaica and falls sick would not have to provide it to be treated. That’s one example of the kind of discrimination that the act causes, which we say is unconstitutional.”
When it was time for Malahoo Forte to respond to the allegation, however, it seemed the attorney general was unclear of the arguments being made, despite repeated explanations by Justice David Batts and Chief Justice Bryan Sykes, two of three judges presiding over the matter.
JAMAICANS NEED to make a concerted effort to be educated on fire-prevention methods, noted fire and material science lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Dr Tanya Innis-Kerr.
“While I was doing fire investigations, one of the most painful things to me was when I had to investigate a fatal fire, and when I asked about the victims, I would hear that the body was found in the doorway. So persons were trying to make their way out and could not get out. Persons were found in shower stalls, and children would hide in closets or under the bed. It is heartbreaking, because people die because they don’t know what to do,” said Innis-Kerr at the recent launch of the 2018 Jamaica Fire Brigade Fire Safety Awareness Week at Spanish Court Hotel in St Andrew.
She said people need to understand fire protection at home and at work, such as the significance of fire alarms, how to use a fire extinguisher, how to put out certain types of fire, knowing when to fight and when to leave, how to create an escape plan and, importantly, how you actually escape.
“During this week, I implore Jamaicans to participate so that they can learn what they have to, because it is important to understand our risks. In Jamaica, all our windows are grilled. What does that mean for you? It is a major, major problem if you cannot escape through a window, so you must have a plan,” said Innis-Kerr.
Since 2009, eighty-eight children have lost their lives to fires, which propels this year’s theme of Fire Safety Awareness Week: ‘Mek Wi Fix It ... Make Fire Safety and our Children Our Priority’.
Being commemorated this week, the Jamaica Fire Brigade will focus activities: on fire and life safety in and around the home; community and firesafety tours; inspecting homes and educating citizens; and a child fire-safety initiative, conducting talks at schools and at children’s homes.