The Chairman of the Integrity Commission, retired Justice Carol Lawrence Beswick, is warning that a growing wave of lawsuits against the anti-corruption body and its leaders could slow the fight against corruption.
Her remarks were made in the Integrity Commission’s Annual Report for the 2025-2026 financial year, tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
The report comes as Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness and a sitting Cabinet minister press their own court challenges against the Commission.
In her message, retired Justice Lawrence Beswick, highlights what she sees as an increase in legal action against the organisation and members of its leadership team over the reporting period.
Justice Lawrence Beswick says the Commission respects the constitutional right of every individual to go to the courts and remains committed to honouring all judicial processes and determinations.
But she cautions that the growing resort to litigation, whether intended or not, could impede the timely discharge of the Commission’s responsibilities.
She says defending legal proceedings ties up significant time, money and institutional capacity that could otherwise go towards investigating and preventing corruption.
The report does not name any individual.
But the reporting period coincides with two high-profile legal challenges against the Commission and its officers.
Prime Minister, Dr. Andrew Holness is pursuing a Supreme Court judicial review of a commission report into his statutory declarations.
He’s also challenging the constitutionality of the Integrity Commission Act and the illicit-enrichment provision of the Corruption Prevention Act.
Prime Minister Holness denies any wrongdoing.
And Cabinet Minister, Dr. Andrew Wheatley has also gone to court, seeking to overturn a Commission ruling, tabled in June, that he be charged with illicit enrichment and three related offences.
The Commission alleges Minister Wheatley holds assets disproportionate to his lawful earnings by about $164 million.
It’s a claim he rejects as patently false, inaccurate and grossly misleading.
A hearing on his application for leave to seek judicial review is set for later this month.
Justice Lawrence Beswick says the courts play a vital role in upholding the rule of law and keeping public bodies within their legal authority.
But according to her, it’s equally important that the Commission’s lawful work is not frustrated, delayed or undermined by actions designed solely to discourage robust investigations or to stop the Commission carrying out its mandate.
She says the Commission will continue to pursue that mandate, in her words, fairly, independently and without fear or favour.