Jamaica’s Supreme Court has ruled that aspects of the controversial National Identification and Registration Act (NIDS) are in violation of the Constitution and has declared the entire law null and void.
In delivering the judgment a short while ago, Chief Justice Bryan Sykes said it was the unanimous decision of the Court that the mandatory requirement of NIDS for persons to submit biometric information is indeed a violation of the right to privacy, which is stipulated by the Constitution.
The chief justice said it was the court’s decision for the law to be struck down in its entirety because those aspects which did not infringe on the Constitutional rights of citizens were not enough to stand alone.
The court action was brought by People’s National Party (PNP) General Secretary Julian Robinson on behalf of himself, his constituents in St Andrew South East, and the members of the PNP.
Robinson contended that various sections of the act are unconstitutional, and operate as violations to the rights of the citizens of Jamaica.
The legal team, headed by Michael Hylton, QC, also includes Donna Scott-Mottley, Michael Vaccianna and Jennifer Housen. The team is instructed by the firm of Paulwell Frazer Binns.
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