Mandate
 

Section 122 (subsection 1) of the Jamaica Constitution provides that the accounts of the Court of Appeal, the accounts of the Supreme Court, the accounts of the offices of the Clerk to the Senate and the House of Representatives and the accounts of all departments and offices of the Government of Jamaica including the offices of the Cabinet, the Judicial Service Commission, the Public Service Commission and the Police Service Commission, but excluding the Department of the Auditor General, shall at least once in every year be audited and reported on by the Auditor General, who with his subordinated staff shall at all times be entitled to have access to all books, records, returns and reports relating to such accounts.

Section 122 (subsection 2) indicates that the Auditor General shall submit his reports made under Subsection 1 of this section to the Speaker, or if the office of the Speaker is vacant or the Speaker for any reason is unable to perform the functions of his office, to the Deputy Speaker who shall cause them to be laid before the House of Representatives.

Subsection 3 says that in the exercise of his function under the provisions of subsections 1 and 2 of the section, the Auditor General shall not be subjected to the directions or control of any other person or authority.

Subsection 5 of the same section provides that nothing in this section shall prevent the performance by the Auditor General of -

  • such other functions in relation to the accounts of the Government of Jamaica and the accounts of other public authorities and other bodies administering public funds in Jamaica as may be prescribed by or under any law for the time being in force in Jamaica; or
  • such other functions in relation to the supervision and control of expenditure from public funds in Jamaica as may be so prescribed; or
  • such other functions in relation to the accounts of any other government as may be empowered to perform by any authority competent in that behalf.