By IANTHIA SMITH, Guardian Staff Reporter

ianthia@nasguard.com

Hundreds of Bahamians are forced to go through the daunting experience of sitting through court cases, often without legal representation and a clear understanding of their rights. But the newly launched Bahamas Laws Online Quick-Win Project will put the country's laws at the public's fingertips and will play a significant role in our daily lives, according to Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, the Hon Allyson Maynard-Gibson.

"Availability of the laws online is critical to knowing your rights, obligations and for the Bahamian businessman, what services and concessions are available to advance his business," she said.

This new service, she added, will feature a convenient 24-seven-365-day access from anywhere in the world, to the Statute Laws of The Bahamas, selected texts of laws passed from April 2002 -2005 and a listing of the annual Acts passed from April 2002.

Minister of State for Finance James Smith was also on hand at the website's launch and explained that this $52,567 project is a part of the Bahamas Government Online Initiative (BGOI). The BGOI, he said, is a comprehensive, long-term strategy to transform and modernize government services and the business of government using information and communications technologies. "The laws online project was identified several years back as part of the business facilitation focus, which initially characterized the government's e-commerce agenda," he said.

The ministries involved enlisted the help of the Consultant and Audit Canada Team and their colleagues, Irosoft, to provide the necessary technological services and support to enable them to accomplish this project.

Minister Smith added that as the government seeks to provide greater access to government information, other projects intended to come on-stream include: the provision of online tracking of parcel and registered mail, a network of public access terminals within public libraries and at COB, an online labour databank for employers and employees, the availability of Cabinet conclusions in a secure online environment for permanent secretaries and the availability of a range of government forms online for download.

Laws of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas can be accessed and examined by members of the public by logging on to the web site www.laws.bahamas.gov.bs.

By the end of September, Attorney General Maynard-Gibson said another web site will be launched for the AG's office, where information on pending and closed cases in The Bahamas will be available for web-surfers.