Chuck seeks to revive stalled constitutional reform discussions

Minister of Justice & Constitutional Affairs Delroy Chuck is seeking to revive the stalled discussion to remove the British Monarch as Jamaica's head of state.

The Constitution (Amendment) (Republic) Act, 2024, was tabled in the House of Representatives on December 10, 2024, to abolish the constitutional monarchy and transition Jamaica to a republic.

But, amid deep divisions between the country's two main political parties on several critical issues, including the choice for Jamaica's final appellate court, the bill fell off the legislative agenda last September when the five-year term of the previous Parliament came to an end. It has not been brought back to Parliament since.

Chuck, making his contribution to the annual Sectoral Debate in Parliament on Wednesday, called for MPs to restart discussion on the bill.

“For Jamaica’s sake, let us look at the bill and see how it can be amended, if necessary, and modified, so that this Parliament, at possible time, can debate and remove the monarch. We need to become a Republic. There's no need to delay this process.”

The minister further noted that the matter of the final appellate court will be taken to the people through constitutional town hall meetings.

“The final appellate court has many possibilities. We can go the route of Hong Kong, where the appellate court consists of international judges, and Hong Kong judges, and they sit as their final appellate court. I don't mind if the final appeal at court in Jamaica, the five Caribbean judges sit, but it has to be the Jamaican final court."

He also urged Opposition Leader Mark Golding to restart the constitutional reform process.

“We can do a fair amount of piecemeal (changes), putting in the Electoral Commission of Jamaica as a part of it; the Public Defender and other pieces, but without the consensus of this Parliament, it doesn't make sense.”

It would be much preferable to have consensus on these and other proposed changes to the constitution, he declared, adding that his ministry has continued a strategic and targeted public education programme on the Constitution.