KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The main opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has unveiled a 60-page manifesto ahead of the September 3 general election, promising to make the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) the country’s final appellate court.
The PNP said it would be “replacing the United Kingdom Privy Council and ensuring access to justice at the highest level for all Jamaicans”.
Jamaica is a signatory to the Original Jurisdiction of the CCJ, which was established in 2001 to replace the Privy Council as the Caribbean’s highest and final court. The CCJ, which also has an Appellate jurisdiction, is also an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the 15-member regional integration movement, CARICOM.
The ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has said that Jamaicans would need to vote in a referendum before becoming a full member of the CCJ.
The party said that it will pursue constitutional amendments through a transparent and participatory process that engages all stakeholders from the ground up. This includes engaging with civil society groups, the churches, the business sector, trade unions, and other nongovernmental actors in the design and roll-out of the consultation process.
To this end, it is committing to hosting public forums for Jamaicans to debate and recommend constitutional changes. It will also implement school and community outreach programmes and launch broad public education and awareness campaigns.
And the PNP is also committed to replacing the British monarch with a Jamaican President chosen by, and accountable to, the people.
Speaking at the launch of the manifesto on Tuesday night, PNP and Opposition Leader, Mark Golding, said the document titled ‘Mission Jamaica Love, A People’s Pledge to Country’ stands on 10 pillars that will build a future Jamaica.
Golding said the plans stand on: justice for all, access to quality education, modern infrastructure, agriculture and food security, innovation and industry, care for the vulnerable, accountability in governance, land and housing, opportunity for youth, violence prevention, and environmental resilience.
“They will guide us to invest in people, close the gaps between uptown and downtown, between tourism zones and rural parishes, between the well-connected few who thrive while the majority feel neglected and dejected,” Golding said, adding “we will protect economic stability and leverage it into inclusive and sustainable growth creating a new era of opportunities for those who are now excluded from prosperity, while tackling corruption and the abuse of power in governance”.
“Jamaica, the time has come to lift our country higher and build a future that belongs to all of us. Let us take this journey together,” Golding said, adding that a future PNP government will consider implementing fixed election dates and term limits and that it will also move to expand the Senate to broaden representation to include the diaspora, persons with disabilities, and the Rastafari and Maroon communities..
The manifesto said the party is committed to upgrading and expanding the physical infrastructure of courts across Jamaica to ensure they are safe, accessible, and adequately equipped.
“Judges must have secure and functional chambers, court staff must work in conditions that support efficiency and well-being, and litigants, especially those in rural and underserved communities, deserve facilities that reflect the seriousness of the matters being adjudicated.”
The party said that it will treat violence not only as a security issue, but as a public health challenge and a social justice concern.
“We will reduce violence by investing in prevention, addressing root causes, and strengthening trust between citizens and law enforcement.
“From 2016 to the present, Jamaica has lost almost 13,000 lives to violent crime, with the annual murder rate averaging 25 per cent higher than under the previous PNP administration for the first eight years.”
“More Jamaicans have been murdered in the two terms of this JLP administration than in any other two terms in the history of Jamaica. That failure must be acknowledged,” the PNP said, adding that “the significant reduction in murders this year marks a welcome shift after many years of misguided policies and reflects the effectiveness of evidence-based, focused policing versus the unconstitutional and ineffective states of emergency (SoE) promoted by the (Andrew) Holness administration.
“The elimination of routine SOE use, combined with targeted enforcement and community programmes, validates the PNP’s long-held position. Now, Jamaica can chart a new course, one based on justice, data, and hope,” the PNP said, adding it will treat violence as a public health issue shaped by poverty, trauma, and exclusion”.
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