Jamaica: Parliament to vote on Caribbean Court of Justice on April 28

Jamaica’s parliament will decide on April 28, whether or not the country should replace the Judicial Committee of the UK-based Privy Council with the Trinidad & Tobago-based Caribbean Court of Justice.

The Simpson-Miller administration has tabled 3 bills in parliament, including:
– an act to make provision for the implementation of the agreement establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice and for connected matters;
– an act to amend the Constitution of Jamaica to provide for the replacement of appeals to Her Majesty in Council with new provisions for appeals to the Caribbean Court of Justice as Jamaica’s final appellate court,
– and for connected matters and an Act to amend the Judicature (Appellate Jurisdiction) Act.

According to prime minister Simpson-Miller, the 3 month delay, which is constitutionally stipulated, would give the Opposition enough time to reconsider their rejection of the proposal and support the Bills.

Opposition leader, Andrew Holness, has insisted, he his Jamaica Labor Party would not support the switch to the Caribbean Court of Justice, without a referendum.

Should the country’s legislature vote to switch to the regional court, it would register as a major policy victory for Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller, who had promised during her campaigns, to have Jamaica become a republic, and replace the Queen as Head of State.