Lloyd McFarlane Urges Jamaica To Adopt CCJ As Final Appeal Court

Jamaica’s discussion about its highest appeal court is again drawing attention, after senior attorney Lloyd McFarlane declared support for the Caribbean Court of Justice.

McFarlane accepted that an independent judiciary remains important, but said Jamaica should not now move to create a standalone local court to handle final appeals. He argued that the better course is to become part of the CCJ, a regional institution formed partly to meet that need.

His position is based on practicality. Jamaica, he noted, has already put money into the CCJ, and he believes it would be unwise to spend further resources building a new body when an operating regional court is already in place and able to take Jamaica on as a full participant.

The CCJ is already the last appellate court for several Caribbean countries. Jamaica, however, still sends final appeals to the United Kingdom’s Privy Council, a choice that has remained politically sensitive and widely debated for years.

McFarlane’s intervention adds another viewpoint to an issue that continues to resurface in national discussion.