Digest for the month of October 2019
Your monthly digest on all legal technology news happening around the Caribbean.
Bahamas
* The Central Bank of the Bahamas (CBOB) is reportedly preparing to launch its own fiat-based digital currency to ensure that the nation’s economy remains stable in the event of a natural disaster. Click here to read more.
Barbados
* Local officials believe digital currencies will replace hard cash in the future, insisting that it will create an opportunity for more people to have access to financial systems and services. However, they cautioned that before this could take place in Barbados, all risks should be carefully considered and tight regulations should be put in place. Click here to read more.
Jamaica
* In response to backlash over the proposed amendment to the Access to Information Act which sought to extend the waiting time for Cabinet documents from 20 years to 70 years, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that he decided on extending the waiting time into the public domain as he had expected support from the Opposition. Click here to read more.
* Four Jamaican final year Norman Manley Law School students, with the backing of their coaches, Hanielle Hines and Meridian Kohler, were declared champions of the Cybersecurity Moot at the inaugural Qatar International Cybersecurity Contest on October 3. Click here to read more.
* School administrators have been directed by the Ministry of Education to discontinue the practice of scanning fingerprints to record attendance until further notice. In a bulletin, the Ministry said it is aware of the use of automated systems to electronically record arrival and departure times. Click here to read more.
* The Government has bowed to public pressure and will withdraw the resolution tabled in the Houses of Parliament to increase from 20 to 70 years, the period for which Cabinet documents may be barred from public access. Click here to read more.
Trinidad & Tobago
* A herbalist from Arima who also maintains a blog on his public Facebook page has been ordered to pay over $1 million in compensation to a veteran attorney for defamation. Click here to read more.
* A Ministry of Health employee whose image was plastered over social media earlier this month and labelled as a “bandit”, has instructed his attorneys to issue a pre-action protocol letter to the woman who made the original post seeking a public apology and “significant” monetary compensation for defamation of character. Click here to read more.
* In 2020, the T&T Police Service (TTPS) will create a centre with the capacity to monitor and analyse social media activity via the use of surveillance systems. Click here to read more.
* National Security Minister Stuart Young believes that while some aspects of social media have brought about positive changes in society, he wishes he could “switch off” social media because of its potential to disrupt democratic processes. Click here to read more.
Regional
* Caribbean Community (CARICOM) finance ministers have joined their Commonwealth colleagues in urging progress on taxing digital commerce to tackle debt. The ministers say they have also recognised the potential of technology to improve debt transparency while urging closer collaboration to resolve tax challenges arising from growing digital commerce. Click here to read more.
Editorial
The New NIDS and the Constitution
The Government, we hope, is not about to recommit its mistakes when it rushed through the law for a National Identification System (NIDS) which the court, earlier this year, held to be unconstitutional. The upshot: The Holness administration was forced to put on hold its plan to have all persons living in Jamaica acquire a unique identification number and ID card, on which would be stored biometric and demographic information. If the law hadn’t been thrown out, persons who didn’t have this card wouldn’t be able to access government services, while failing to acquire it would be a criminal offence, although conviction wouldn’t leave a criminal record. Read more here.
Worldwide
* Twitter says it mistakenly used the phone numbers and email addresses people provided for security purposes to show advertisements to its users. It is unclear how many users were affected or which countries’ users were affected. Click here to read more.
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