Kingston, 18 July 2025 (JIS) - Eighteen Authorised Officers have been formally designated to carry out key duties under the Sexual Harassment (Protection and Prevention) Act, 2021, while 14 tribunal members have been sworn in to serve on the body that will hear and rule on related cases across the island.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony held on July 17 at the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, in Kingston, Portfolio Minister, the Honourable Olivia Grange, described the occasion as “far from a mere formality”. 

“It represents another great stride in our journey as a nation towards a fairer and safer Jamaica for all,” the Minister said.

“We're here not only to swear in the members of the Sexual Harassment Tribunal but also to formally designate 18 Authorised Officers who will help to ensure [the]… Act is recognised, is applied and upheld across Jamaica. These appointments are not ceremonial, they are practical, necessary and extremely important,” she said. 

The Minister emphasised that no one in Jamaica should have to face sexual harassment in silence and without hope that justice will be done.

“This tribunal personifies gender equality,” she said, adding that the team  members were carefully selected for their experience in areas such as law, labour, gender, human rights, landlord-tenant relations, academia and others.

To the newly sworn-in tribunal members, Minister Grange reminded them that, “you’re obliged to demonstrate fairness, compassion, and the ability to deal with deeply personal, sensitive matters with dignity and balance”. 

“Your role is to listen carefully, judge fairly, and ensure that both complainants and respondents receive justice,” she said.

The Authorised Officers, who received training through the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Faculty of Criminal Investigation, will serve as first points of contact for individuals seeking redress under the Act.

“You are Authorised Officers… You must ensure that the law is not just known but properly utilised,” she urged.

“Your job is to listen without judgement, inform complainants of their rights… and to make sure that not even one complainant is turned away or discouraged,” the Minister added.

Minister Grange said the Sexual Harassment Tribunal, its Secretariat, Authorised Officers, and human resource professionals will function as “a system that says we will no longer ignore sexual harassment”.

“Today we say you do not have to be silent anymore. Help is here. The law is here, and justice is here,” the Minister declared.

For her part, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, said the law is about “respecting each other's space and our ability to live in the way we wish… and engage in the way we want with each other and being aware of that”.

“This is not changing the structure of male and female engagement, or about your ability to start a new relationship… .  It is about protecting people from unwanted advances,” she explained.

Minister Johnson Smith also noted that while the law is gender-neutral and offers protection to both men and women, it acknowledges that women are disproportionately affected.

“This is why they tend to be prioritised in the discourse, not to minimise the fact that both genders are affected but recognising the reality,” she said.

With the swearing-in complete and the Authorised Officers ready to serve, Minister Grange underscored the national significance of the occasion, noting the broader transformation taking place in the country’s approach to gender justice.

“Today is, indeed, a historic moment for the gender architecture in Jamaica. We’re turning laws into real protection. We are making sure that there is justice for everyone,” she said.

END