Politics
Jamaica moves closer to adopting Caribbean Court of Justice
Jamaica is now closer to having the Caribbean Court of Justice as its final court of appeal – one step closer to Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller’s promise to moving the country to becoming a republic.
The island-nation’s house of representatives, yesterday voted for Jamaica to leave the United Kingdom-based Privy Council and establish the Caribbean Court of Justice as Jamaica’s final Court of Appeal.
The three bills laid before the house of representatives will now proceed to the Senate. The three bills in question are:
– an Act to Amend the Judicature (Appellate Jurisdiction) Act;
– an Act to Amend the Constitution of Jamaica and;
– an Act to make provisions for the implementation of the agreement establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice.
This development comes on the heels of the Court’s 10th anniversary celebrations on April 16th, 2015 and just two months after Dominica formally celebrated its accession to the Court’s Appellate Jurisdiction. Barbados, Guyana and Belize also enjoy full access to the Court’s judicial services.