Malahoo Forte: Gov’t Considering Views on Jamaica’s Final Appellate Court

Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Marlene Malahoo Forte, says the views of government members and, by extension, the Jamaica Labour Party, are still being canvassed regarding the country’s final appellate court. 

Mrs. Malahoo Forte says a decision on whether the Privy Council or the Caribbean Court of Justice, CCJ, will be Jamaica’s final appellate court, requires consensus.

Her comment follows instructions from Opposition Leader Mark Golding for his party’s representatives not to sign the final report of the Constitutional Reform Committee, CRC. 

The opposition leader says his party will not sign the document unless the matter of Jamaica acceding to the appellate jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice, CCJ, is settled.

Mrs. Malahoo Forte says the Holness administration is going through the process, but it will take time. 

Meanwhile, Mrs. Malahoo Forte says the full contents of the report of the Constitutional Reform Committee will be made public after Cabinet’s approval.

Marlene Malahoo Forte, Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs. She was speaking during Nationwide at Five on Friday.