Constitutional Reform News
This is a collection of articles and other public information, showing news and updates about Jamaica’s constitutional reform in general. To see our own work on constitutional reform, click here.
March 2023
“Jamaica’s constitutional reform process is designed to be deliberately slow, to allow citizens time to think about the kind of changes they want.” - JIS
The Prime Minister appointed 14 persons to the Constitutional Reform Committee. A majority of the appointees are lawyers, and one of the appointees is a foreigner. - Gleaner
April 2023
The Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, who also serves as the co-chair of the Constitutional Reform Committee, claimed that every issue is “discussed widely, taking into account views in the public domain, taking into account experience at the table, and also where we would like to go.” - JIS
The Constitutional Reform Committee was reportedly considering a “non-political president” who would “be above the cut and trust of the everyday politics” and possibly have a 7-year term. - Observer
The Constitutional Reform Committee “announced progress on what they say are key aspects of Phase One of the country’s constitutional reform agenda. Minister Malahoo Forte says King Charles will be abolished as Jamaica’s Head of State and a native Jamaican appointed to the Office of President of the new Republic of Jamaica." Bruce Golding, a former Prime Minister, said that the Constitutional Reform Committee had broken no new ground with its consensus on replacing the British monarch with a non-executive president. He said these things were already agreed on in the 90s. - Nationwide
The government’s Constitutional Reform Committee reportedly reached consensus on the method of election for the president; they propose that the Prime Minister would nominate someone for president and then the houses of parliament would have a joint sitting where two-thirds of the votes are required to confirm the president. The PNP, on the other hand, wants the houses of parliament to vote separately. - RJR
The government announced that it intended to table legislation in May to begin the transition to a republic. This was amid concerns that there would not be enough public consultation before the process begins. - Gleaner
The government was “staunchly defending its preference for a ceremonial head of state” in April. Nadeen Spence claimed that “Jamaican democracy is stable.” Even members of the Constitutional Reform Committee who were affiliated with the parliamentary opposition were in support of a ceremonial presidency. Hugh Small claimed that “there is no chance of a snowball in hell that we're going to get approval by the Jamaican people for the creation of an executive president” and complained that “we would have to revamp the whole constitution” if we wanted something other than a ceremonial president. Anthony Hylton and Donna Scott-Mottley, the representatives of the parliamentary opposition, “expressed support for the proposed method of appointment of the president as head of State for a Jamaican republic” in terms of having the president appointed by parliament rather than elected by the people. Donna Scott-Mottley noted the only contention was the specifics of how the parliament appoints the president, saying that the PNP wants the appointment to require the support of two-thirds of the members of each house rather than two-thirds of a joint sitting of the houses. - Observer
May 2023
The Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, who also serves as the co-chair of the Constitutional Reform Committee, expressed that Jamaica should have “a non-executive president as opposed to an executive president” according to the government’s information service. - JIS
LANDS made a presentation to the Constitutional Reform Committee, in which we outlined our proposed political system for the republic. We called for the President and the Senate to be directly-elected rather than appointed. We said that the President should neither be a ceremonial figurehead nor a member of the cabinet, and we outlined the roles and some of the powers that the President would have. - MLCA, Nationwide
The government initially intended to table constitutional reform bills in the parliament by May 2023, but delayed doing so in order to consult LANDS and other organisations. - Gleaner
The Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, who also serves as the co-chair of the Constitutional Reform Committee, said that consensus within the committee does not mean that its ideas are set in stone. She said that the committee is merely seeking to put recommendations to the people so that they can comment on it. - Gleaner
June 2023
The Constitutional Reform Committee met with church leaders. There was mention of “an appointed executive president.” One church leader called for public education. - JIS
The Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs sought to assure “the religious community” that it “did not intend to disturb any savings law clauses in the Constitution or repeal pre-existing laws that would go against fundamental beliefs held by the Church. The savings provisions in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms protects the buggery law and the law prohibiting abortion from being challenged under the Charter of Rights.” - Gleaner
The government claimed that “work to advance reform of the Constitution has progressed significantly.” The Opposition Leader asked the Prime Minister “to commit to the reform process regardless of who is in power.” - JIS
At a town hall meeting in Savanna-La-Mar, one of the members of the panel attracted cheers as he gave his views on the constitutional reform process. He criticised the idea of a ceremonial presidency as a continuation of the old colonial system and said that he is not interested in a republic where the people cannot get to choose their president. He said that the people should be able to elect our president and the president should be able to appoint an executive that is accountable to the parliament. He said that someone should not be able to be a Member of Parliament and a cabinet minister at the same time. - Gleaner
The Constitutional Reform Committee was reportedly considering having a “hybrid” model for the presidency, just “two months after staunchly defending the Government's preference for a ceremonial president” before. - Observer
The Minister of Legal and Constitutional Legal Affairs, who also serves as the co-chair of the Constitutional Reform Committee, said that the committee was “leaning towards a hybrid presidency” which she said is “not a ceremonial president but a president that will exercise a set of powers” and claimed that the committee is “tailor-making something for the Jamaican people.” - JIS
After the government announced that the Constitutional Reform Committee was leaning towards a hybrid presidency, members of the public asked how the president would get office, whether by election or appointment, the Minister of Legal and Constitutional Legal Affairs, who also serves as the co-chair of the Constitutional Reform Committee, responded “That is the million-dollar question that we’re hearing from the people. We’re hearing the views of Jamaicans on that.” - Gleaner
July 2023
The Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs says that the referendum for constitutional reform would not happen at the same time as general elections or local government elections. She also added that it is possible for the constitutional reform process to be started in one parliamentary term and continued in another, with the parliament being able to pass necessary legislation in its current term while leaving some work to be done by the next term. - Gleaner
The government had amended the constitution to change the retirement age of 2 public officials. This angered the opposition as it says it was not consulted. As a result, the Leader of the Opposition “warned that the Opposition would be reconsidering their participation on the Constitutional Reform Committee” and its members boycotted some of the committee’s meetings. - Observer
August 2023
A member of the Constitutional Reform Committee “accused civil society bodies of trying to bully members of the committee into accepting their recommendations for constitutional reform.” - Observer
During a panel discussion on the constitutional reform process, a representative of LANDS called for the Constitutional Reform Committee to put its proposals together in a single document so that people could know what they are discussing in consultation meetings. A representative of the Constitutional Reform Committee claimed that the committee does not have proposals of its own and that others have “imposed” that on them, despite statements by the co-chair of the committee and the government’s own information service that the committee reached consensus on specific proposals. - TVJ
September 2023
The Leader of the Opposition said that the PNP would not support a transition to a republic without simultaneously changing Jamaica’s final court of appeal from the UK Privy Council to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). Media reported that “The PNP has consistently voiced support for the CCJ to become Jamaica's final court, but the ruling Jamaica Labour Party has indicated that its position is still being decided on.” - Gleaner
Lloyd Barnett, a member of the Constitutional Reform Committee, expressed concern about the PNP’s stance on the transition to a republic being tied to the transition from the UK’s Privy Council to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). He believes that the British monarchy, the status of the current constitution, and the retention of the UK Privy Council are all vestiges of colonialism but believes that changing at least 1 or 2 of those things is better than changing none. - RJR
In response to the Opposition being adamant that the transition to a republic must be accompanied by switching from the Privy Council to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the Minister of Legal and Constitutional Legal Affairs said that the matter of the final court of appeal will be dealt with in the second phase of constitutional reform rather than the first. - Observer
Polls show that nearly 60% of Jamaicans support a removal of the UK’s Privy Council as Jamaica’s final court of appeal, while less than 25% of Jamaicans support retaining the Privy Council. - RJR
Polls show that over 75% of Jamaicans want term limits for politicians; this applies to both the political leader of the country and the Member of Parliament of each constituency. - Gleaner
Jamaicans were polled about their views on whether they prefer a ceremonial presidency or an executive presidency; a semi-presidential model was not a poll option. 36.1% of Jamaicans favoured having “a president with wide powers” while 30.1% support having a ceremonial president; 22% have no preference, and another 11.4% reported either not understanding or not caring about the difference. - Gleaner
Polls show that people want a say in who serves as president if Jamaica becomes a republic. If Jamaica has an executive president, 79% of Jamaicans want direct elections for the president while only 9% believe that the executive president should be chosen by the parliament; another 12% were unsure or indifferent. Even if Jamaica has a ceremonial president, 70% of Jamaicans believe that the people should have a say in who gets appointed, as opposed to only 7% said that the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader must agree on an appointment and 6% that said the Opposition Leader should at least be consulted. - RJR
Polling done from late August to mid-September shows that 45% of Jamaicans want to transition to a republic, while only 26% want to retain the British monarchy; 29% were undecided. However, these numbers represent a decline from the findings in 2022 when polling showed that 56% of Jamaicans favoured a transition to a republic. - RJR
October 2023
Polls done in August and September in 2023 show that over 88% of Jamaicans want the right to recall unpopular Members of Parliament. It also showed that over 45% of Jamaicans believe that the Prime Minister has too much power, while 37% disagree. Many people also complained that they do not see their Members of Parliament or local government councillors. - Gleaner
Polls done in August and September in 2023 show that more people find the leaders of the 2 main political parties to be unlikeable than those who find them to be likeable. A political commentator said that this showed “the general level of apathy among Jamaicans towards not only the political parties but their leadership. He argued that a considerable size of the electorate continues to be disenchanted by the political process in Jamaica.” Don Anderson, who led the process of conducting the polls, cautioned against conflating likeability with electability. - Gleaner
The Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs says that the “the government is paying close attention to the poll results on the matter concerning the final court as well as all of the matters relating to a constitutional reform.” - RJR
Politicians want people to temper their expectations of them. They claim that the people have unrealistically expectations of them. They admit that this is a problem that they themselves cause because they are not honest about their limitations when seeking votes, but they complain about fatigue. These sentiments were expressed in a parliamentary committee that is tasked with reviewing the Prime Minister’s proposed job descriptions for Members of Parliament and cabinet ministers. - Observer
The Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs and the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) have entered an agreement to conduct public education about constitutional reform for a period of 2 years. The Minister claims that “engagements with members of the public have revealed a high level of ignorance among the people about the Constitution and basic governance concepts, as well as a lack of understanding of the structure of government,” noting that there have been town hall meetings and stakeholder group meetings across the island. The Minister noted that the Constitutional Reform Committee has received submissions, including from LANDS, that have raised issues that need to be deliberated on. - JIS
Despite stating that “there is greater need for clarity on” the different types of presidency, the Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs declared that the Constitutional Reform Committee has already settled on a method for appointing the President. The President would be appointed by the parliament rather than elected by the people, and the ministry’s press release said that the President would be “above the political fray.” - MLCA
March 2024
It was reported that the Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs had "conceded" that "Jamaica is still some way off from removing the British Monarch as Head of State and becoming a republic". - RJR
Four political parties in Jamaica had "joined forces to form the Jamaica Unity Alliance (JUA), a movement on a mission to broaden the discourse around constitutional reform and the country’s intention to sever relationships with the British monarchy in favour of a republic." The JUA wants "an executive-style democratic republic of Jamaica, with one head of state, called a president or prime minister, who will be directly elected by the people, and with two consecutive terms for the prime minister and five for members of parliament. It also wants fixed election dates for parliamentary and municipal elections - every five and four years, respectively." It wants the cabinet to be headed by the executive head of state, and have ministers "who cannot simultaneously be members of the legislature and who must be approved by a majority of Parliament after a confirmation hearing." It "also wants senators to be directly elected by the people on a parish-wide basis, with two per parish, or on the basis of proportional representation." - Gleaner
April 2024
RJR reported that "Constitutional expert Dr. Lloyd Barnett is not in support of Jamaica adopting the Citizenship by Investment Programme which has become popular in parts of the eastern Caribbean." - RJR
In announcing that the CRC had finalised its proposals, the Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs "argued that in moving forward with a republican system of government, in an age where Jamaicans are calling for greater accountability from the executive, the best form of government would be one that embraces a balance of power built on checks and balances." - Observer
In April 2024, the CRC finally announced that it had "signed-off on the list of recommendations it will make" for the specific changes to the constitution. - RJR
May 2024
"Many suggestions have been put forward as to how we should conduct governance as a republic. The creation of a ceremonial presidency, and our final appeal court are but two of the issues that have fuelled intense and welcome debate. Outside of how the vote for a ceremonial president is to be taken, there is consensus across the political divide on the office. Therefore, it can’t be difficult for either side to yield on this matter, given the importance of the country taking that first step to republican status." - Observer
"The parliamentary opposition has indicated that it is holding firm to its stance that Jamaica's transition from the British Monarchy must coincide with the move away from the UK-based Privy Council as the country's final appellate court." The Opposiiton Leader "instructed his party's representatives on the Constitutional Reform Committee not to sign off on the report until the issue of full decolonisation is resolved in a manner that will allow the committee to proceed in a bipartisan manner." - RJR
The Leader of the Opposition made it clear that the PNP "does not support the idea of a referendum being used to determine the country's final appellate court" and believes it is a matter that could be decided by parliament instead. It was also reported "that he's not in favour of a phased approach to republic status" and would prefer if multiple issues were handled at once. - RJR
In mid-May 2024, it was reported that the cabinet "received the report of the Constitutional Reform Committee" and that the report would be "be tabled in Parliament, along with the Government's conclusions, once Cabinet completes its review." - RJR
"Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding is charging that there is a lack of intent on the part of the government to seek consensus on critical issues in the proposed reform of the Jamaican Constitution." - RJR
The so-called "Youth representative on the Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC), Sujae Boswell, is urging the government and opposition to move forward on issues on which they both agree." He "insisted this is an opportunity for Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader Mark Golding to show true leadership if constitutional reform is of national importance." - RJR
"The current Constitution does not allow dual citizens of non-Commonwealth countries to hold elected office in Jamaica." In 2023, "Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Marlene Malahoo Forte told Parliament that the Constitutional Reform Committee contemplated whether persons with dual citizenship should be eligible to sit as MPs." The Opposition Leader made a "call for constitutional amendments that would allow Jamaicans with dual citizenship to run for office", expressing the position that "Jamaicans who also hold citizenship for non-Commonwealth countries should be allowed to seek political office." - RJR
The report by the Constitutional Reform Committee, "which has sparked much controversy, was tabled in the form of a green paper by Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Marlene Malahoo Forte." The Prime Minister "expressed his gratitude for the Committee's contributions and highlighted the significance of this milestone. He said the government will continue working to build consensus on the contentious issues." He claimed that "his administration remains steadfast in its commitment to achieving consensus on the first phase of reform to replace the British monarch as head of state with a Jamaican President." The Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs claimed that "the Ministry will be launching a public education campaign to inform the Jamaican people about the committee's recommendations." - RJR
As the report by the Constitutional Reform Committee was being sent elsewhere, "Opposition Leader Mark Golding had instructed Opposition members of the committee not to sign the document after concerns were raised about several matters," like the adoption of the Caribbean Court of Justice as Jamaica's final appellate court. - Gleaner
"Amid widespread debate on the citizenship status of those eligible sit in Parliament, the Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) says sole allegiance to Jamaica should be a prerequisite. This comes as Opposition Leader Mark Golding's citizenship status has become a point of contention after he admitted that he was also a British citizen, by way of inheritance." - RJR
"Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) member Dr Lloyd Barnett is urging Jamaicans to unite around the recommendations set out in its first report so that the country can move forward with becoming a republic." He said that "the discussions, particularly in the larger context of constitutional reform, have focused on divisions, rather than unity — which needs to change." He claimed "that most of the CRC’s recommendations have the support of all relevant parties including the parliamentary Opposition." - Observer
As of late May 2024, "Bills will no longer be given effect in the name of the British Monarch but rather the authority of the Parliament of Jamaica." This was due to an amendment to Section 61 of the constitution, which was done in parliament without needing a referendum. - RJR
June 2024
Despite promoting a political model with an unelected President that would function similarly to the Prime Minister in Jamaica's current system, Rosalea Hamilton wrote an article criticising the government for failing to take a deeper look at things that could be fixed with the constitution. She says that "the issues covered in the report do not address the fundamental flaws embedded in the design of the constitution. These flaws are associated with the inherited structure of government that concentrates power in the Cabinet and the prime minister." - Gleaner
In 2023, polls showed "that 91.5 per cent of Jamaicans are desirous of impeachment charges against elected officials found guilty of unlawful activities." However, "The Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) has recommended that an impeachment process should not be included in the reformed Constitution. Impeachment has to do with bringing charges against a government official for wrongdoing." The co-chair of the CRC said that "if the matter being investigated involves allegations of a crime, normal criminal proceedings would take place." - RJR
July 2024
"Unless the Holness administration possesses David Copperfield’s conjuring skills, it is clear that the Government’s planned reform of Jamaica’s Constitution is dead until after the general election" - Gleaner
In July 2024, the "Strategic Youth Advisor on the Constitutional Reform Committee" (previously referred to as the "Youth Representative"), claimed that "Phase two of the constitutional reform process is expected to get underway in the next few months" which would deal with "reviewing ordinarily entrenched provisions of the Constitution for which amendments are desired and required, including the wordings and provisions on the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms set out at Chapter III." - RJR
August 2024
"Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding says achieving constitutional reform in a bid to get the country to republic status will not move forward without consensus from the political directorate, particularly regarding the matter of the final court of appeal." - Observer
September 2024
"The Constitutional Reform Committee is to review its recommendation regarding the method of appointment for the president as the formal Head of State of the Republic of Jamaica. The CRC had proposed nomination of a candidate for president by the Prime Minister after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition, with a view to arriving at consensus before being confirmed by Parliament with a two thirds majority vote. But co-chair of the committee, Marlene Malahoo Forte, said it has taken note of the numerous comments and criticisms, including from two former prime ministers." - RJR
October 2024
State media reported on the continuation of town halls. It reported that "The town halls serve as a forum for open dialogue as Jamaica progresses towards a new era of constitutional reform and national identity. The meetings highlight the importance of transparency and accountability in the reform process." It claimed that "By actively involving citizens in discussions surrounding constitutional changes, the Government aims to build trust and confidence among the populace. This approach aligns with the vision for a more participatory democracy where every Jamaican feels empowered to contribute to the nation’s future." Credit was given to "the CRC youth strategic advisor, Sujae Boswell, for his dedication to engaging with young individuals and incorporating their views into the reform process." - JIS
November 2024
A member of the Youth Parliament "insisted that young people have not been given sufficient opportunities to be more involved with the constitutional reform process" and that youth "are not fully aware and engaged with the contents and recommendations of the Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) report on constitutional reform; and that the website dedicated to constitutional reform is ill-equipped to deal with inquiring thoughts of the youth population as it only has one section for questions, with 12 frequently asked questions (FAQs) to cover 138 sections of the constitution." Another member of the Youth Parliament focused on the savings law clause, saying that "The modified savings law clause must go. It reflects the colonial mindset that sought to demonise indigenous groups like the Rastafari, Maroons and more. While the Act is no longer actively enforced, its very presence on the statute books sends a dangerous message that freedom of religion is not fully realised and that we are still bound by foreign laws that were designed to suppress black identity." - Observer
December 2024
In early December, the Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs said that "significant progress has been made in the drafting of the constitutional reform bill" which would "abolish constitutional monarchy and appoint a Jamaican head of state, transitioning the country to a republic." However, the Opposition Leader "declared that the parliamentary opposition still has serious concerns about the legislation, making it clear that he would not support the bill in its current form" because "there are several issues raised by the opposition which have not been addressed by the government." The Opposition Leader added that the "process is going nowhere" without the opposition's support. - RJR
By early December, the Constitution Amendment Bill had "gone through several revisions since it was dispatched by the chief parliamentary counsel (CPC) to the legal and constitutional affairs ministry on July 22, 2024." The Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs claimed that "The Bill is intended to achieve national goals about which there is no dispute on either side of the parliamentary aisles or within the political parties" to the best of her knowledge. - Observer
The Gleaner published an editorial that discussed the difficulties in achieving bipartisan consensus on key issues in constitutional reform, like the Opposition's position on the Caribbean Court of Justice. - Gleaner
The government tabled a bill to begin the process of amending the constitution to transition to a republic. "Alongside the republic transition, the bill proposes to entrench the Electoral Commission of Jamaica in the Constitution, incorporate national symbols and emblems, clarify Jamaican citizenship criteria, and strengthen constitutional amendment procedures." The opposition continued to insist "that the British monarch and the Privy Council should be removed at the same time to make a full cutting of colonial ties with the Great Britain, from whom Jamaica gained Independence in 1962. However, the Government has argued that there is no consensus on the issue and the proposed replacement with the Caribbean Court of Justice. It also said a decision on the court is set for a later phase in the reform process." - Gleaner
Someone wrote a column about the challenges with the constitutional reform initiative led by the government. She noted that "many Jamaicans want the country to cut its ties with Britain and become a republic. Recently, calls for this transition unsurprisingly strengthened when Barbados decided to take this course of action." She noted the difference between consultation and PR, saying that "The Government has made some attempt at canvassing the views of Jamaicans. Town hall meetings have been held, although the purpose of these meetings appeared more in-keeping with an information dissemination objective." She said that, while she supports transitioning to a republic, "it is a little concerning that the government has dedicated extensive time and funds to embarking on this process without first doing a temperature check on how many Jamaicans truly support the move and support the establishment of a Jamaican head of state." - Gleaner
Peter Espeut, a well-known public voice on constitutional reform, wrote a column on the lack of public involvement in the constitutional reform process, saying that "A government committed to true democracy would have been careful to set up a Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) truly representing the Jamaican people, which would then conduct widespread public education on the options, and public consultations to find out what the people wanted." Instead, "the Minister chose who would represent the church, youth, and civil society. The party in power already knew the type of constitution it wanted, so there was no need for public education or consultation." He criticised the phased approach where "the strategy the government was pursuing was a two phase approach, where in Phase I only matters to do with removing the British monarch as head of state were under discussion, with all other matters left for Phase II" and said that Phase I would "give the ruling party all the power it needs to make the other changes it wishes without the concurrence of the opposition." He said that the chosen "approach requires the bare minimum of consensus – only on matters requiring a referendum. The Opposition and civil society are asked to support the removal of the monarchy with no guarantees or even serious discussion about other important matters that the ruling party could push through parliament without any consensus. At that point, not even the opposition would have any leverage to prevent the ruling party amending the constitution to give themselves more power." He warned about the composition of the Senate in particular, and highlighted that the President would effectively be chosen by and side with the ruling party. - Gleaner
One of the leaders of the Advocates Network said that the proposed model of constitutional reform would be "unfettered, top-down governance in the structure of government that concentrates power in the hands of the prime minister (PM) and Cabinet." She said that the bill to amend the constitution "consolidates and strengthens prime ministerial power" and "clearly indicates that there is no intent to change Cabinet dominance!" However, she did not mention the proposals by her or the Advocates Network and how they concentrate power in the hands of an unelected President who would function similarly to the Prime Minister in the current system. - Gleaner
January 2025
"Opposition Leader Mark Golding has restated the parliamentary opposition's objection to the proposed amendments to the Constitution." It was reported that "while he agrees with the need for constitutional reform, he has misgivings about how the government is managing the process. He has restated his call for full de-colonisation rather than what he terms the current piecemeal approach." He also had specific concerns about the ruling party's proposed method for electing the President; "They effectively want to institute the system where the Prime Minister can, through various steps that they will control, appoint the President of the country. I don't support that. The President has a critical role." He added that the proponents of the constitutional amendments "want to water down the power of the opposition in the Senate by reducing the number of senators or the percentage of senators that the opposition appoints" and said that the Opposition "will not engage" and "will not allow that to take place". - RJR
The Chief Justice highlighted the exsting connections between the Caribbean Court of Justice and both Jamaica's existing legal system and its nation-building ambitions. - Observer
"The government and the parliamentary opposition remain at odds over proposed amendments to the Constitution" and this manifested at the "first meeting of the Joint Select Committee reviewing The Constitution (Amendment) (Republic) Act 2024. The opposition has called for full de-colonisation, including the country moving away from the UK Privy Council as its final appellate court, rather than what it has termed the current piecemeal approach. Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding warned that if there is no change to the process, opposition members on the Joint Select Committee would take no further part in the deliberations". - RJR
The Opposition Leader said that the parliamentary opposition wanted to withdraw from the joint select committee reviewing the Constitution (Amendment) (Republic) Act 2024 until the Prime Minister answered some questions to the public. - RJR
"Opposition Leader Mark Golding has given the clearest signal yet that the People’s National Party (PNP) will not support the constitutional reform process unless the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) becomes Jamaica’s final appellate court." The Opposition Leader posed 4 questions, and declared that the "answers that are forthcoming will determine the character of the Opposition’s cooperation in this exercise". The Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, "Malahoo Forte committed to forwarding the questions to Holness while insisting that the process is best undertaken in phases." - Observer
"The government and opposition are being urged to reconvene Vale Royal talks which could be an avenue for resolving the impasse on the approach to the reform of the Constitution." The talks continued in February 2024 and the Prime Minister "pledged to ensure continuation of the talks, which had stalled for some time. But, it appears the talks have again stalled." - RJR
It was reported that "the parliamentary Opposition boycotted the second meeting of the joint select committee examining the Constitution (Amendment) Republic Bill." The Opposition Leader posed 4 questions to the Prime Minister and "indicated that the answers to his questions could determine the Opposition’s future participation in the committee meetings." The Opposition Leader "argued that it makes better sense to also cut ties with the United Kingdom Privy Council, currently Jamaica’s final appellate court, at the same time the country abolishes the monarchy" but the ruling party is "continuing to argue that it is best to achieve significant reform in phases." - Observer