Jamaica's Supreme Court will begin a hearing this week on whether a Jamaican national declared a 'drug kingpin' by the American president can be assured of a fair trial if extradited to the United States to answer drug trafficking charges.

This critical point of law will be argued before the Full Court - comprising Justices Lensley Wolfe, Mahadev Dukharan and Lloyd Hibbert - - on motions brought by Montego Bay businessmen Leebert Ramcharan and Donovan "Plucky" Williams, both of whom were ordered extradited more than a year ago by a Kingston magistrate, Martin Gayle. Both had asked for a judicial review of the June 2004 extradition order. Small. ruled that Bahamian Samuel Knowles could not be assured a fair trial in the US

[continues 648 words]

THE UNITED States Government has again given Jamaica a passing grade for its counter-narcotics efforts but said that "corruption continues to undermine law enforcement and judicial efforts against drug-related crime and is a major barrier to more effective counter-narcotics actions."

The evaluation is made in the U.S. Department of State's International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), March 2004, which was published on Monday by the department's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

But while acknowledging steps the Jamaican Government had taken "to protect itself against drug trafficking and other types of organised crime", it said the Government "needs to intensify its law enforcement efforts and enhance international co-operation."

[continues 535 words]

Illicit Drugs Provide Short-Term Gains For A Few, But Long-Term Losses For Many. - File

(The illegal drug trade in Jamaica in 2002 is the subject of comment in the Report of the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), a United Nations publication, and in the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2003, published by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, US Department of State.

INCB is an independent and quasi-judicial control organ established by treaty, for monitoring the implementation of international drug control treaties. Its 13 members are elected by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The following are some highlights of the INCB Report which were compiled by Lloyd Williams, Senior Associate Editor:)

[continues 1005 words]

THE UNITED States Government is urging the Jamaican authorities to get tougher with cocaine traffickers.

The recommendation is made in the International Narcotics Strategy Report 2003, which was published on Saturday by the U.S. State Department's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

In its summary on Jamaica, INCSR March 2003 states that the island, a major transit point for South American cocaine en route to the United States, and the largest Caribbean producer and exporter of cannabis (ganja) has in place a National Drug Control Strategy which covers both the reduction of supply and demand.

[continues 498 words]