THE LONG-AWAITED parlia-mentary deliberation on a 42-page report which reviewed Jamaica's defamation laws, started Thursday in Gordon House.

A high-powered parliamentary committee, comprising mainly lawyers, discussed how the group should proceed in the months ahead as it examines the report.

However, the committee's next meeting may not take place until May, as Parliament is scheduled to prorogue on March 31, followed by the Budget Debate in April.

After a brief discussion at Thursday's meeting, it was decided that committee members should first leaf through the report in preparation for deliberations at the next sitting.

Extensive review

Last year, a committee com-missioned by Prime Minister Bruce Golding and chaired by Justice Hugh Small, carried out an extensive review of the country's defamation laws.

The committee held consultations with members of the public to get their input on the subject.

The Jamaica Labour Party had pledged, in its election manifesto, to modernise legislation relating to libel and slander to expose corrupt officials in the private and public sectors so they could be brought to justice.

Golding commissioned the committee in October 2007 to review the laws and to make recommendations.

On Thursday, committee Chairman Dorothy Lightbourne gave an overview of some of the key issues to be discussed by the group.

Committee member Senator Arthur Williams told his colleagues that the parliamentary committee should restrict submissions to the various bar associations and media associations.

According to Williams, during the public consultations on the defamation laws, Jamaicans got an opportunity to participate in the debate.

He stressed that, at the parliamentary committee stage, legislators should now invite "persons who can assist the committee in a technical way."

Attorney-at-law Ronnie Thwaites said Jamaicans who did not make a submission should not be barred from doing so now.

However, he said, a short timeline should be set for submitting and completing deliberations on the proposals.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com

Libel committee members