A new law allows the governor to impose targeted financial sanctions related to terrorism, terrorist financing and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The Terrorism, Terrorist Financing and Proliferation (Sanctions) Bill 2024 passed through Montserrat Legislative Assembly and into law on 25 June.
All members voted unanimously in favour of it.
Attorney General Sheree Jemmotte-Rodney, on presenting the bill, said the United Kingdom had previously created orders in council detailing certain sanctions.
These included people or entities that the United Nations Security Council had designated, but also allowed the UK’s overseas territories to designate their own.
To ensure that the orders are fully implementable locally, it is necessary for each overseas territory to enact local legislation, the attorney general said.
This will also prescribe the parameters for the exercise of the powers which are conferred under the UK’s orders, she added.
Designating sanctions
The bill, if enacted, would allow Montserrat to designate people who are involved in terrorism, terrorist financing, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the attorney general said.
This will go towards meeting the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force’s requirements for an effective framework to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
She reminded the assembly that Montserrat’s anti-money laundering and terrorist financing National Risk Assessment indicated that Montserrat is of low risk for terrorism.
However, she stressed: “We are part of a global community. We do not know when an act of terrorism would impact our shores, or the shores of one of our neighbours.
“We cannot predict when something may happen and we need to make sure that we have a framework in place to protect the people of Montserrat.”
Jemmotte-Rodney said there is already an existing and “quite comprehensive” legislative structure, but the bill completes that implementation process in Montserrat.
‘Serious stuff’
In rising to address the bill Opposition member Donaldson Romeo called clause three of the bill “loose, colonialistic and potentially confusing”.
The clause empowers the governor to delegate or authorise the delegation of any of the governor’s powers under the act to any person, or class or description of persons.
Romeo also raised concerns that there is no security at the John A Osborne Airport, which he said was the decision of the current governor.
“It just highlights the seriousness of the power put in one individual’s hands,” he said, adding that the bill allows her to delegate powers to any person, which is “serious stuff”.
The attorney general explained that the detail already exists within the UK’s orders in council and applies to all overseas territories.
The bill was read for a second time, went through the committee stage with no amendments, and read a third time before being passed into law.
