CHRIS DEHRINGCHRIS DEHRING, managing director and CEO of Inter-national Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007, has said that some breaches of the law, which under normal circumstances would have been a breach of civil law, will be regarded as criminal offences when the tax-waived ICC Cricket World Cup comes to the region next year.
"There are aspects of the Sunset Legislation that will make things that would normally be on the books as a civil offence into criminal offences," Dehring said.
Sunset Legislation, a generic term, describes legislation added to the statute books for a fixed period of time. It will address various legislative issues that are necessary to stage a successful ICC CWC 2007.
Issues include tax exemptions for the event owners, organisers and team members and conduct that adversely affects the safety of the public within the stadium or other CWC 2007 venues. Ambush marketing of CWC 2007 products and interference that affect the efficient operation and staging of a CWC 2007 activity are also covered in the draft legislation.
The legislation, which has been agreed upon by the Attorney-General of the region, will be in force for a predetermined period prior to the event, and will cease to have effect on June 30, 2007, when the event ends.
SPECIAL TYPE OF REGULATION
"All major events, whether it be the Olympic Games or Football World Cup, require a very special type of regulation to govern the event and makes it possible for the host to put on the event and do it to world-class standard.
"Once you are hosting a major game, you become a potential
target for terrorism. The legislation gives power to the security force to prosecute speedily, people who pose such threats," Dehring said.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 senior legal counsel, Derek Jones, has said he hopes the bill could become law "no later than November 2006, although we would prefer to see them (in place) earlier."
Barbados' Parliament has already commenced debate over the Sunset Legislation, the correct name of which is the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Bill. Cricket fans there have said the piece of legislation will do nothing but kill Caribbean cricket culture.
The Jamaican Parliament, meanwhile, is yet to see the
document. Jeffrey Madden, a director in the Attorney-General's Department said the draft is
currently being examined by the Attorney-General, but he had no idea when it will leave for
further consideration.
In order for the bill to be made into law, it must leave the Attorney-General's Department to the legislative sub-committee of Parliament. The document is then examined and if no objections are made to it, the document moves to Cabinet, again for consideration. Cabinet will table the bill and after debate and due consideration, it is enacted into law. The public does not get a chance to give feedback on
the bill until it is laid before Parliament.
The ICC Cricket World Cup, which Dehring said "has been granted full tax waivers," is expected to attract an estimated worldwide television audience in excess of two billion viewers. Hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars are being invested by companies to obtain an official association with the event and to benefit from that association.
