Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange says that “Jamaica has completed a long walk to justice for its ancestors” now that the Act entitled, ‘National Heroes and Other Freedom Fighters (Absolution from Criminal Liability in Respect of Specified Events) Act, 2018’ has received the assent of the Governor General, Sir Patrick Allen, and has become law.
Governor General Sir Patrick Allen
The Governor General’s assent follows the approval of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Bill brought to the House by Grange.
Welcoming news that Sir Patrick has given assent, Grange said the law “helps to bring closure to a painful chapter in history by recognizing our heroes and freedom fighters for who they really were; restoring their dignity in the records; and contributes to the healing of their traumatized and wounded descendants.”
Grange said that by enacting this law, the administration has “set the records straight.”
According the minister: “Now and forever more, it will be known and recorded that our National Heroes Sam Sharpe, George William Gordon, Paul Bogle, Marcus Garvey, their supporters and sympathizers including women, and other freedom fighters such as Tacky, were not criminals but were proud and brave people engaged in acts of liberation with moral justification.”
The new law’s full title is: An Act to absolve certain National Heroes, namely, The Right Excellent Samuel ‘Sam’ Sharpe, The Right Excellent George William Gordon, The Right Excellent Paul Bogle, and The Right Excellent Marcus Garvey, their supporters, sympathizers and participants by association, and other freedom fighters, from criminal liability arising from participation in the 1760 Tacky’s or St Mary Rebellion, the 1831 to 1832 Christmas Rebellion, the 1865 Morant Bay Rebellion and the 1929 campaign of the People’s Political Party, respectively, and to provide for connected matters.
It requires the holders of official documents regarding the criminal liability of any person linked to actions referenced in the Act to update the records to indicate that the person has been absolved of criminal liability in respect of the relevant offence.
You must log in to post a comment.