Draft cybercrime legislation ready to be presented to Cabine

The cybercrime draft legislation is ready for presentation to Cabinet now that consultations and adjustments on the bill have been completed.

Attorney General Basil Williams noted that he would make a special appeal to Cabinet for the legislation to be sent to a select committee when it is presented in Parliament. Once the draft legislation is cleared by Cabinet, it will be laid in Parliament.

Government has recognised the need for cybercrime legislation given the growth of Information and Communications Technology.

The draft bill was initially presented to stakeholders at a consultation session held in March. Williams said the Bill underwent changes following the consultation. “As a result of that consultation, we had to make several adjustments to the draft bill,” he explained.

The draft cybercrime legislation will address cyber threats such as identity theft, cyberbullying and child pornography.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Police Force has been preparing its ranks to effectively address this kind of crime with a series of training sessions. An Assistant Superintendent and a Sergeant attended a just-concluded Interpol-sponsored cybercrime training session in the Dominican Republic.

The Legal Affairs Ministry has also been exposing its staff to cybercrime training, and the Director of Public Prosecutions and Justice of Appeal attended similar seminars in Brazil, Williams pointed out.