Opposition Senator Thame accuses gov’t of ‘autocratic tendencies’

Civil society and church groups as well as the Opposition have called for greater systems of oversight and accountability to be built into the bill, but they say their recommendations have been largely ignored by the Government.On Friday, Thame warned about such a governing style that she said flouts the constitution.“The Government claims they consult but it isn’t clear that they’re hearing the people on this bill,” she said.She highlighted that, “In their second submission to the Government on the bill, Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) and Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) say their concerns remain unaddressed.Thame told the Parliament that among the most pressing concerns that have been raised by Opposition Members of Parliament in the House of Representatives is that the bill gives extraordinary powers to the authority.“The approach to NaRRA must be seen as part of a larger approach by the Government that attempts to concentrate power in the executive and pushes Jamaica in an autocratic direction. The super ministry at the OPM (Office of the Prime Minister) is one example,” she remarked.Thame suggested this was hardly surprising as, “We saw the prime minister’s autocratic tendencies early on”.“Remember how the prime minister required (then Opposition) senators to sign undated resignation letters in 2013? Lucky for our colleagues on that side, in 2015, the Supreme Court ruled his action unconstitutional and void,” she said.Continuing, Thame added that, “It is unfortunate that the people have had to take the government to court to guarantee their rights which should be automatically respected”. She reminded that the National Identification System (NIDS) legislation was also ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme in 2019 following legal challenges that it breached the right to privacy and other fundamental rights.“In 2025 the courts ruled that the repeated use of states of epmergency (SOEs) between 2018 and 2023 was unconstitutional. In response to the ruling the government signaled its intention to appeal,” Thames reminded.She cited examples of people, including Rushane Clarke, who was awarded millions of dollars in compensation, after being held in detention for extended periods without being charged under the SOEs.The Opposition senator reminded that the Supreme Court also found that the constitutional rights of Everton Douglas et al were breached in the case they brought against the Ministry of National Security. Specifically, the court found the months-long detention and confinement of the five men without trial under a SOE to be unlawful and unconstitutional, a breach of their fundamental rights including the right to liberty and the separation of powers “which we deserve on this bill”.“And then the government sought to appeal the decision. What kind of government do we have that would appeal such a ruling?” Thame asked before providing her own answer.According to her, “It’s the same kind of government whose leader is always threatening the people with war and violence with threats that you’ll meet your judge or your maker”.“We’re witnessing in real time this authoritarian approach to power in the rise in police killings beginning last year. We see the same process of disregard for the people’s rights unfolding in relation to the court’s ruling in the Dry Harbour [Mountain]/Bengal [mining rights] case,” said Thame.“What kind of government would appeal a ruling that defends the people’s right to a healthy environment?” she questioned.Thames said the joint submission by JET and JFF points to gaps in human rights protections, governance, accountability and the rule of law in the NaRRA Bill.