the Government has once again tabled Bills in the House of Representatives...

the Government has once again tabled Bills in the House of Representatives as it pushes to keep its promise to replace the United Kingdom-based Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as Jamaica's final appellate court. In February 2005, the then PJ Patterson-led People's National Party (PNP) Administration was forced to modify plans to make the CCJ Jamaica's final appellate court as a result of a UK-based Privy Council ruling. The then Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) as well as several local human rights groups voiced discontent with the passage of legislation. The Privy Council found merit in the arguments of the groups and ruled that its replacement by the CCJ could not be validly incorporated into Jamaica's judicial system, except by way of entrenchment in the country's constitution. Due to several factors, including a lengthy leadership battle inside the then-governing People's National Party (PNP), and a defeat at the polls in 2007, the party was unable to continue the thrust to complete the transition and the new JLP administration did not have the matter on its list of priorities. The JLP's stance remained the same until 2009 when Britain's Supreme Court President Lord Nicholas Phillips, in what was perceived as a bombshell announcement, said too many of Britain's top Privy Council judges were being bogged down with cases from Caricom countries. Days later, then Prime Minister Bruce Golding indicated that he would be reviewing the country's stance on joining the regional court. Following the December 2011 General Election, the new PNP Government stated its intention to have the CCJ serving in both the original and appellate jurisdictions for Jamaica, in time for the 50th anniversary of Jamaica's Independence in August.