KINGSTON, Jamaica, Oct 17 2015 – Justice Minister Mark Golding on Friday urged legislators “to look beyond the usual narrow self-interests and to focus more on what is in the best interest of the country and future generations” as the Senate began debate on three pieces of legislation that could result in the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) becoming the island’s final court.
The main opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has already signaled its intention not to support the measure, wanting instead a referendum on whether Jamaica should replace the London-based Privy Council with the CCJ.
But in an impassioned contribution to the Senate, Golding recalled the Court of Appeal’s recent admonition that Senators are required to exercise independent judgement, and not blindly follow party political dictates.
“I say today to the Opposition Senators, who have generally supported good legislation brought to the Senate, in keeping with the obligations that they have assumed in their oaths as Senators, that they should not etch their names forever on the wrong side of history.”
The CCJ, established in 2001, also acts as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the 15-member regional integration movement.
The Court has two jurisdictions, but while most CARICOM countries are signatories to its Original jurisdiction, only Barbados, Guyana, Dominica and Belize are members of the Appellate Jurisdiction.
