Cuthbert-Flynn misguided in her statutory declaration criticisms, says Integrity Commission

The Integrity Commission has dismissed criticisms raised by Minister of State in the National Security, Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, regarding the request for salary information about her husband as part of her statutory declaration filing, labelling them as misguided.

Cuthbert-Flynn questioned the move in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The Integrity Commission clarified that this request is mandated by law.

“The parliamentarian was ignorant of pertinent provisions of the Integrity Commission Act.”

Sections 39 and 40 of the Integrity Commission Act impose specific obligations related to statutory declarations filed by parliamentarians and public officials. Section 39(1) states: "Subject to the provisions of this Act, every parliamentarian or public official shall submit to the Director of Information and Complaints a statutory declaration of their assets, liabilities, and income in the form set out in the Third Schedule."

The Third Schedule of the Act requires detailed income information from the declarant, their spouse, and children, including perquisites such as housing and entertainment allowances.

Section 40(1) of the Integrity Commission Act 2017 further stipulates: "A statutory declaration shall include such particulars as are known to the declarant of the income, assets, and liabilities of the spouse and children, where applicable, of the declarant."

Therefore, parliamentarians and public officials required to file statutory declarations are obligated under the Act to disclose relevant information, including details of spousal income, the commission asserts.

The commission emphasises that these legal obligations are universally recognised anti-corruption and good governance standards that have been written into Jamaican law by Jamaica lawmakers themselves, who passed the Integrity Commission Act in 2017.

"Contrary to suggestions from some commentators, including lawmakers, these requirements were not arbitrarily imposed by the Integrity Commission."

The Integrity Commission notes that last December it sent a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, which was also copied to the Chairman of the Integrity Commission Parliament Oversight Committee, and to the Clerk to the Houses of Parliament, offering parliamentarians the opportunity to participate in a virtual sensitization session on filing statutory declarations at their convenience.

This initiative aimed to support preparations for the 2024 statutory declaration intake period, which began on January 2, 2025, and runs until March 31, 2025.

However, the commission reports it has not received any response to its offer to date.

"To prevent misinformation, the commission urges all parliamentarians and public officials to utilize the resources and educational guidance provided, designed to uphold principles of anti-corruption, accountability, transparency, and good governance."

The commission says its goal is to ensure that all declarations are completed accurately, and in full compliance with the provisions of the Integrity Commission Act.

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