A presiding judge in Jamaica will have the authority to prescribe whether a defendant who is granted bail should wear an electronic tracking device or ankle bracelet when the new Bail Act 2022 takes effect.
The Act also states the circumstances under which a defendant may be denied bail, including those who commit murder, and if the crime was committed in certain places such as within a Zone of Special Operation (ZOSO).
Jamaica’s Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Marlene Malahoo Forte, tabled the long-awaited Bill that will give rise to the new Bail Act in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
Section 8 (5c) of the Bill stipulates “the wearing by the defendant of an electronic tracking device to allow for the monitoring of the movements of the defendant, being a device in accordance with such specifications and characteristics as shall be prescribed”.
This is the 22nd year that the Lions Club St. Vincent South has been hosting the competition since 1999.
