478 / 494
477
CHAPTER 15
RECOMMENDATIONS
INTRODUCTION
15.1
Our Instruments of Appointment require that we furnish to his
Excellency the Governor-General “a full and faithful report and recommendations
of the proceedings.” The main thrust of our Terms of Reference was
investigative and we have accordingly made a number of findings concerning the
several matters which we investigated under the Terms of Reference. In many
instances we have recommended that further investigations be carried out as a
matter of justice and with a view to preventing a recurrence of similar events.
We are deeply concerned that events similar to those which form the substance
of our Enquiry should be avoided in the future.
15.2
In this concluding Chapter, we make certain recommendations
aimed at preventing unnecessary loss of life and injury in circumstances similar
to those which have engaged our attention. These recommendations are limited
in scope. We have restricted them to matters or issues which we think arise fairly
and logically from our investigations. We emphasise that they are not and are
not intended to be solutions to Jamaica’s larger problems involving crime, the
control of crime, reform of the criminal justice system, treatment of human rights
issues and social problems. As we conceive it, the Commission of Enquiry was
not established for these wider purposes. Indeed, we had neither the time nor
the capacity to deliver such outputs.
15.3
Thus, the recommendations which follow are limited to proposals
for redress for wrongs done and to the prevention of large-scale loss of lives
during the operations of the security forces in the context of garrison
communities. They are based on evidence available to us during the course of
the Enquiry as well as submissions from members of the general public. In this