The timing of America’s public designation of retired senior police officer Reneto Adams, and five members of his long-disbanded Crime Management Unit (CMU), is a bit curious. And it would have carried far more weight if it had been done under a presidency other than Donald Trump’s in its waning days. But no matter who the messenger is, this development ought to be a reminder of the primacy of human rights in a liberal democracy, a commitment which requires more than pious declarations of support by leaders. Human rights come with a sacred obligation of the State to their protection, especially from abuse or infringement by its actors. Given the specific development, it would be appropriate if the Holness administration reconsiders its change of mind about updating the law to give specific powers of arrest and prosecution to the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), the agency that investigates complaints against the security forces.