Chiding the Government for its "hypocrisy", the Opposition yesterday called for the immediate abolition of the Official Secrets Act.

In a statement, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) said the colonial era legislation was outdated and could be used to conceal corruption.

The Opposition argued that the four-year-old Access to Information (ATI) Act retained measures to protect national security interests.

The Gleaner reported on Sunday that, during a meeting with civil servants last Friday, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller warned them to uphold the regulations of the 95-year-old act as long as it remained on the books.

But yesterday the Opposition, arguing that the Prime Minister's reported comments were inconsistent with recent pronouncements from members of the governing party which suggested that the legislation should in fact be repealed.

Colonial era

The JLP said: "The Official Secrets Act was conceived in a colonial era when the business of government was considered to be the business of the governors, and not the ordinary people who were expected to take whatever they got and ask no questions. It has no place in a modern, democratic society committed to openness, transparency and accountability."

According to the Opposition, if elected the party would introduce whistle-blowing legislation to promote open government.

Under the Official Secrets Act, civil servants can be prosecuted for divulging classified information obtained during their service.

Yesterday Information Minister Donald Buchanan told The Gleaner that the Government remained committed to abolishing the Official Secrets Act, though he could not provide a timeline for that action. He also called the JLP "hypocrites" themselves for not having done so when they were in Government between 1980 and 1989.