Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador, the Hon. Philip Davis tabled the Independent Commission of Investigations Bill, 2024 and the Protected Disclosure Bill, 2025 in the House Of Assembly on Wednesday.

Mr. Davis told Parliamentarians, “no one is exempt from scrutiny and no one is above the law.” The Independent Commission Of Investigation Bill seeks to establish an independent body which will receive complaints, investigate and hear complaints of participation in an incident under the Act,
against members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, Customs, Immigration, Parliamentarians and other government officials.

The Prime Minister explained, “if a complaint was made related to the alleged misconduct of a police officer or Defence Force officer that complaint falls under the jurisdiction of the Commission, the investigation will not be solely handled internally by the Police Force or the Defence Force as is the standard practice today. Instead the Independent Commission of Investigations will take the lead.”

The Protection Disclosures Bill 2025 ensures confidentiality, provides a pathway for disclosure and protection from retaliation which empower whistleblowers, in the public and private sectors, to report fraud or corruption. Mr. Davis said, “whistleblowers have also helped governments and corporations around the world to identify problems early before misconduct can escalate or abused can become systemic. Whistleblowers need only act in good faith with a reasonable belief in the accuracy of the information they disclose and a reasonable belief that the conduct described constitutes wrongdoing to be eligible for the Act’s numerous and detailed protections.”

The government has also recently enacted the Ombudsman Act, the Prime Minister announced during his presentation that the Committee to choose the Ombudsman will receive notice of their appointments next week.