Bunting warns Integrity Commission reports could be stalled by court action

Opposition spokesman Peter Bunting has warned that legal action could keep significant Integrity Commission reports out of public view, even after they have been placed before Parliament for weeks.

The concern was raised in relation to a report that, according to the discussion, had been before Parliament for 51 days but remained unavailable for public review, debate or wider discussion. The issue has prompted questions about whether any person named or affected by a report could turn to the courts and, by doing so, prevent Parliament and Jamaicans from learning what the anti-corruption body found.

Bunting said reports involving lower-level public officials, including matters tied to failure to file statutory declarations or late filing, are likely to move through the system without much difficulty. However, he argued that reports involving powerful figures, alleged wrongdoing or corruption, especially where the findings could cause political embarrassment for the Government, face a greater risk of being tied up in litigation.

He also raised concern that in some cases the Government could effectively appear on both sides of the legal process. The discussion identified the matter as involving the Attorney General and the Firearm Licensing Authority, with Bunting characterising that situation as the state taking action against itself.

Bunting argued that such a setup would create little urgency to have the matter resolved quickly in court. He said the result could be to weaken anti-corruption agencies, stop them from functioning as Parliament intended, and keep information from the public on issues Jamaicans have a right to know about.

Bunting was identified as the Opposition spokesman on Productivity, Efficiency and Competitiveness.