By Claude Mills, Staff Reporter 
Sobers
A BROAD coalition of human rights and legal organisations have presented a submission to the Joint Select Committee of Parliament regarding the much-debated Terrorism (Prevention) Bill.
The deadline for submissions was December 31, 2003.
The joint submission represents the views and input from the groups Association of Women's Organisations of Jamaica (AWOJA), Families Against State Terrorism (FAST), the Farquharson Institute of Jamaica, the Human Development and Social Justice Commission of the Archdiocese of Kingston, the Independent Jamaica Council for Human Rights (ICJHR), the Jamaican Bar Association and Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ).
The joint submission reportedly numbers some 23 pages.
"I know that the members from the House (of Representatives) were named to the Joint Select Committee but I am not sure that the members have been named from the Senate as yet ...but we, the citizens, have played our role, we are committed to registering our objections to the Bill in its present form," said Dr. Martin Aub of the Transparency International (Jamaica).
United Nations Resolution 1373 (passed October 2001) requires Jamaica, as part of the international community, to ensure its laws address the criminal nature of terrorist acts, and the financing of terrorist activities.
However, Yvonne Sobers, convenor of FAST, is deeply concerned about some aspects of the Bill that could possibly contravene fundamental rights and freedoms of Jamaicans as set out under Chapter III of the Jamaican Constitution.
"Terrorism is not defined in the Bill. The definition of 'terrorism offence' is so broad and speculative that the average citizen could have difficulty in determining what is and what is not a terrorist offence. The vagueness allows room for legislative opportunism," she said.
"This Bill can criminalise activities of political opposition, trade unions and other civil society organisations as well as students and other citizens engaging in civil disobedience protests," Ms Sobers continued.
She added that: "The Minister can declare persons or entities 'terrorists' by making them "listed entities" without any immediate opportunity for the persons or entities to challenge the Minister."
Ms. Sobers also postulates that the Bill, if passed in its present state, could lead to an invasion of privacy of individuals and companies as "each financial institution must report to the 'designated authority' any transaction or pattern of transactions that can be regarded as complex, large, unusual, or presumed suspect.
The Bill allows search of property whether or not it is mentioned in a warrant and whether or not it is related to a terrorist offence, she noted.
The local debate over the Bill has already begun to mushroom with the Government being criticised by Opposition Leader Edward Seaga, who suggested late last year that the Patterson administration could well use the legislation to put down any unrest that may arise as the economy heads deeper into crisis.
However, Minister of Justice A.J Nicholson has defended the Bill saying it is designed to balance the desire of the Jamaican people for peace, order and security from terrorism with the constitutionally protected human rights of all citizens.
