Jamaica legislators to vote for adoption of Caribbean Court of Justice

Legislators in Jamaica will vote on three bills which seek to amend existing legislation to make the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) replace the United Kingdom-based Privy Council as Jamaica’s final court of appeal.

According to the Jamaica Gleaner, the country’s legislators will vote on on the following:

– ‘An Act to Amend the Judicature (Appellate Jurisdiction) Act’, which seeks to repeal provisions for appeals to the Privy Council, and exclude any appeals to the Privy Council instituted prior to implementation of the Caribbean Court of Justice;

– ‘An Act to Amend the Constitution of Jamaica, to amend Section 110 of the Constitution to repeal provisions relating to appeals to the Privy Council and replace them with provisions establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice as Jamaica’s final court’;

– ‘An Act to make provisions for the implementation of the agreement establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice as both a court of original jurisdiction, to determine cases involving the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and International treaties and a superior court of record with appellate jurisdiction’.

Given that the Portia Simpson-Miller administration has a majority in parliament, it is likely that her ruling People’s National Party will vote in favor of passing the bills and the eventual adoption of the Caribbean Court of Justice as Jamaica’s final court of appeal.