Jamaican attorney apologizes for sexist remarks about DPP

By Micaiah Morgan

Jamaican attorney-at-law and former chairman of the People’s National Party’s Human Rights Commission, Isat Buchanan, has apologized for making offensive remarks concerning Paula Llewellyn, the Director of Public Prosecutions

Following the remarks that Buchanan made on a YouTube program on Sunday night, there was an immediate wave of criticism, leading him to step down from his position on the commission

Buchanan, in the course of the program, recited lyrics from the song “The Menace” by incarcerated dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel The lyrics in question used crude language to describe “Paula”

Buchanan issued an apology on social media on Tuesday, acknowledging the unfortunate nature of his comments and his use of the song as a reference

He stated, “ my comments and use of the song reference are indeed unfortunate, and for that, I unequivocally apologize ”

Continuing his statement, Buchanan extended his sincere apologies to Ms Llewellyn, saying, “I specifically wish to indicate to Ms

UWI transforms Open Campus into Global Campus

The University of the West Indies (UWI) announced that its Open Campus is to undergo a significant transformation and will be known as the Global Campus

A multifaceted implementation committee is currently in the process of forming to devise and implement a transition strategy

Reports are that the progression from Open Campus to Global Campus commenced incrementally on Wednesday, with the full operational realization of the Global Campus projected for January 2024 Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles said that the evolution to the Global Campus represents a strategic initiative and the logical progression of UWI’s successful global strategy

Llewellyn that I deeply regret this and I am truly sorry, ” He then noted that, although he is an advocate for free speech, he also understands the necessity of maintaining public civility and mutual respect in societal interactions

Belizean capital under state of emergency

The Belizean capital has been placed under a state of emergency (SOE) as the government tries to halt relentless gang violence, which has resulted in numerous fatalities

The decision was announced this week by Kareem Musa, the Minister of Home Affairs, at a press conference following a police raid that saw 25 individuals taken into custody

Musa revealed that the resolution to enforce the SOE was finalized last week, with three areas having been placed under the SOE capturing the entire expansion area

He described the decision as a challenging one, yet necessary in ensuring the safety and security of law-abiding citizens

“The decision that was made, of course, was not an easy one, but it is of paramount importance that we provide safety and security for our law-abiding citizens and based on the intelligence that the police had been gathering, this decision had to be made for a state of emergency within this very limited area,” Musa said

Regarding the latest four homicides in the capital, he voiced his certainty that charges would be laid in at least two or three cases

He painted crime as a public health crisis and added that the state of emergency measures were necessitated by a small group causing large-scale disruption

Scope of the state of emergency

Police Commissioner Chester Williams clarified that the SOE is not a blanket one where the authorities are “just picking up any and anybody from within those particular areas, but we do have a number of persons who are being targeted ”

Williams further defended the SOE, stressing the government’s responsibility to guarantee the safety of its citizens

He confirmed that some of those apprehended during the recent operation are to face murder charges

“We anticipate that the Global Campus will be a major pillar in the revenue revolution phase of our Triple A Strategy as through aggressive entrepreneurial activity it takes our excellent programme offerings online to the regional and global academic markets,” the Vice Chancellor said

The Vice-Chancellor also emphasized the adaptive nature of the institution, stating, that ‘This is not the first time in our 75-year legacy that we have had to evolve We will go at it as One UWI, with our signature resolve and I have no doubt that our Global Campus will only expand our reputation as a world-class University rooted in the Caribbean ”

A key initiative to emerge from the rebranding is the establishment of a forprofit entrepreneurial business school, dubbed the International School for Development Justice (ISDJ)

According to UWI, the ISDJ will function within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), offering an innovative product line of SDG-focused, postgraduate academic programmes