The Serial Experience

• Author: Derence A. Rolle Davis
• Pages: 46-50

Derence Rolle Davis

10. THE SERIAL EXPERIENCE

The serial experience refers to the things done in consecutive manners and

means. Serial depicts more than one of anything, and may be a similar character.

To use it as a noun, serial refers to a story in regular instalments. As we examine

the year 2003, we will discover that the actions taken by most events are in

succession.

The serial experience in The Bahamas is depicted in the manner in which

the Government continuously capitulated under the constant demand for more

and more restrictive legislation, with the threat of blacklisting, like the proverbial

sword of Damocles, forever being dangled over our heads.

The Legal Effect

Several laws were enacted during this year to bolster the continued fight

against the ‘serial threat’ legislation which was previously passed to ward off the

possible blacklisting. Each of these legislations was designed to allow the

government greater control on money usage and to assist in the monitoring of

the number two industry in The Bahamas, namely, banking. These were

namely:12

Computer Misuse Act, 2003

Data Protection (Privacy of Personal Information) Act, 2003

Electronic Communications Transactions Act, 2003

Investment Funds Regulations Act, 2003

Financial Transaction Reporting Amendment Act, 2003

The Computer Misuse Act, 2003 was intended to address the manner in

which computers are used to collect and or distribute information it collects or

stores. Inferred in this Act is the protection of data, and is therefore tied to the

Data Protection Act, 2003. The Data Protection Act, 2003 was implemented to

protect the privacy of individuals in relation to personal data and to regulate the

collection, processing, keeping, use and disclosure of certain information relating

to individuals and to provide for matters incidental thereto or connected

therewith. This Act allowed for the protection of the individual person’s right to

privacy from publication. The use of the internet and malicious publication in

print form and media use made it necessary to avoid the undue harm and

embarrassment that was being unleashed on others.

12 Other legislation passed during this year were the Hospitals/Health Care Facilities Fees

Award Regulations, 2003, Family Island Development Encouragement Act, 2003.

46