Jamaica to Table Referendum Bill for Constitutional Reform

The Jamaican government is set to introduce a referendum bill in Parliament, providing citizens with an opportunity to participate in the nation’s constitutional reform process.

Custos of Kingston, Steadman Fuller, announced this initiative during the 2025 Throne Speech, marking the commencement of the new parliamentary year.

This development arises amidst ongoing tensions between the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) regarding the reform process. The PNP has chosen to boycott the parliamentary review of the Constitution Amendment Bill 2024, asserting that the JLP’s proposal to replace the British Monarchy with a republic should be accompanied by the adoption of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as Jamaica’s final appellate court.

While the JLP has indicated that discussions regarding the CCJ will take place in a later phase of the reform process, the PNP maintains that both changes should be implemented simultaneously.

According to the Throne Speech, the forthcoming referendum bill will establish procedures for amending entrenched constitutional provisions, including the removal of the British Monarchy.

Described as a historic step toward self-determination and modernization, the reform process includes the tabling of the Constitutional Reform Committee’s report and the ongoing review of the Constitution (Amendment) (Republic) Bill, 2024.

“This is the most advanced step toward replacing the Monarch as Head of State and establishing Jamaica as a republic,” the Throne Speech stated. It also referenced the 2024 constitutional amendment that replaced references to the Monarch with Parliament and the people of Jamaica in legal enactments.

The administration of Prime Minister Andrew Holness plans to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill during the 2025/2026 legislative year, followed by a public referendum. Subsequent phases of the reform process will focus on the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms and the judiciary, allowing Jamaicans to determine the country’s final appellate court.