Questions mount over 51-day wait to table Integrity Commission report in Parliament

A dispute has deepened over the handling of an Integrity Commission report that has reportedly gone 51 days without being tabled in Parliament, with attention now turning to a 2023 ruling by Speaker Juliet Holness and a recent statement from Gordon House.

In that 2023 ruling, Holness addressed reports submitted under section 54(4) of the Integrity Commission Act. She said such reports should be placed before Parliament as soon as possible after they are received, taking into account the serious nature of the matters they contain.

Gordon House has since stated in a release that the Act does not set out a specific timeline for tabling those reports. That position has become central to the current controversy, as critics question whether it can sit alongside the Speaker’s earlier ruling.

The 2023 ruling also included the sentence: “No effort will be made to delay such reports.” Critics argue that the 51-day wait raises serious questions about whether that standard is being observed.

The concern being raised is not only about parliamentary procedure. The argument is that if Integrity Commission reports can be held back indefinitely at the discretion of presiding officers, Jamaica’s anti-corruption system could be weakened.

The issue also touches on Parliament’s oversight role. Parliament includes all members, but the opposition is being described as having a particular duty to scrutinise the government, criticise wrongdoing, and expose alleged corruption, abuse of power, impropriety, and irregularities.

That is why, critics say, laws governing the former contractor general system and the Integrity Commission require reports to be tabled in Parliament.