Safeguards will accompany wiretapping legislation, assures Attorney General

Attorney General Dale Marshall has defended the government’s planned introduction of interception of communications legislation, assuring Barbadians that strict safeguards will be included to prevent misuse and to ensure that the law is applied in a limited and lawful manner.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Marshall acknowledged the sensitivity surrounding the proposed legislation and urged that its introduction should not be clouded by political speculation or concerns over abuse of power.

“Such legislation is too fundamental an issue for any discussion to be premised on talk about political interference or warrants for wiretapping being signed by Justices of the Peace,” he stated.

“I assure you that we are not approaching the enactment of this legislation lightly, and that is exactly the reason that we have requested the National Advisory Council on Citizen Security to consider the legislation and to make such recommendations to the government as it considers appropriate.”

Marshall noted that Barbados is in fact behind many of its regional neighbours in enacting similar laws. Countries such as St Lucia, Grenada, Guyana, St Kitts, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and The Bahamas already have interception legislation in place.

“In these jurisdictions, before any individual’s communications can be intercepted, an application must be made by the commissioner of police to the High Court. The judge can only authorise the interception of the communications on grounds of national security or where it is required to prevent or detect the commission of certain serious offences,” he explained.

Highlighting the administration’s track record of taking decisive legislative steps in the interest of public safety, Marshall referenced previously enacted measures, including the Bail Act and amendments to the Firearms Act.

“This administration has not been shy about making difficult decisions when it comes to passing tough laws such as the Bail Act and the amendments to the Firearms Act, and we will not shy away now from doing so when it comes to keeping Barbados safe,” he said. (PR/BT)