Politics in Jamaica takes place in the framework of a
representative
parliamentary
democratic
constitutional monarchy
. The 1962
Constitution of Jamaica
established a
parliamentary system
whose political and legal traditions closely follow those of the United Kingdom. As the
head of state
,
King Charles III
- on the advice of the
Prime Minister of Jamaica
- appoints a
governor-general
as his representative in
Jamaica
. The governor-general has a largely ceremonial role,
[1]
with their parliamentary function consisting simply of granting royal assent to bills which have passed Parliament.
[2]
Jamaica
constitutes an independent
Commonwealth realm
.
[3]
The Constitution vests
executive power
in the
Cabinet
, led by the
Prime Minister
. Executive power is exercised by the government.
Legislative power
is vested both in the
government
and in the
Parliament of Jamaica
. The Prime Minister is appointed by the governor-general, the common convention being the leader of the largest party in Parliament.
[4]
A bipartisan joint committee of the Jamaican legislature drafted Jamaica's current
Constitution
in 1962. That Constitution came into force with the Jamaica Independence Act, 1962 of the
Parliament of the United Kingdom
, which gave Jamaica political independence. Constitutional safeguards include
freedom of speech
,
freedom of the press
,
freedom of worship
,
freedom of movement
, and
freedom of association
.
The
judiciary
operates independently of the executive and the legislature, with
jurisprudence
based on
English common law
.
The Economist
rated Jamaica a '
flawed democracy
' in 2023.
[5]
Legislative branch
[
edit
]
Parliament
is composed of an appointed
Senate
and an elected
House of Representatives
. The House consists of 63 directly elected members, who appoint their own speaker and deputy speaker. The senate has 21 members appointed for a single parliamentary term; 13 senators are nominated on the advice of the prime minister and 8 on the advice of the
Leader of the Opposition
. Senate members then elect their own president and deputy president,
[1]
as long as they are not a minister or parliamentary secretary.
[2]
The House of Representatives is where most bills are initiated and where most members of the Cabinet, the Prime Minister included, sit. Every bill, to be passed into law, must be approved by the House, with a quorum of 16 members, in addition to the presiding officer, required for a vote to take place. The House determines all government finance, allocating funds and levying taxes. The House is presided over by the Speaker, who ensures the rules of the chamber are observed, and the Leader of the House, who determines what business will be done each day.
[2]
The Senate's main role is reviewing bills passed by the House, however, it may initiate bills as long as they are not to do with money. It may not delay budget bills for more than one month or other bills for more than seven months. No more than 4 members of the cabinet may be selected from the Senate.
[2]
Any Commonwealth citizen aged 21 or over who has lives in Jamaica for at least a year before the election is eligible to be elected to the Legislature. Those illegible to be elected consist of those in the defence force, those serving a foreign government, those serving in a public office or justices of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeals.
[2]
Political parties and elections
[
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]
Executive branch
[
edit
]
The 1962 Constitution established a
parliamentary system
based on the
United Kingdom
's
Westminster model
. As head of state,
King Charles III
appoints a
governor-general
, on the advice of the
prime minister
, as his representative in
Jamaica
. The governor-general's role is largely ceremonial. Their role is to appoint senior officials of the state, on request from the Prime Minister, and to grant royal assent to bills that have passed Parliament.
Executive power is vested in the King, but exercised mostly by the
Cabinet of Jamaica
; led by the
Prime Minister
, currently
Andrew Holness
. The Cabinet consists of at least 11 ministers, each delegated a ministry to preside over and direct government policy from. Additionally, there are special bodies called
statutory bodies
which have direct authority over certain aspects of Government business.
[4]
Elections
[
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]
General elections
must be held within five years of the forming of a new government, however, a general election can be held early if the governing party advises the governor-general to do so, or if a majority of members of the House pass a no-confidence motion against the government.
[1]
[2]
Judicial branch
[
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]
The judiciary also is modelled on the British system. The Court of Appeal is the highest appellate court in Jamaica. Under certain circumstances, cases may be appealed to Britain's
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
. Jamaica's parishes have elected councils that exercise limited powers of local government.
Firearms offences, including possession of unlicensed guns and ammunition, are tried before a dedicated
Gun Court
established in 1974. The Gun Court hears cases
in camera
and practices jury trial only for cases of treason or murder. All other cases are tried by resident magistrates or justices of the
Supreme Court of Jamaica
.
Administrative divisions
[
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]
Jamaica is divided in 14
parishes
: Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, St. Andrew, St. Ann, St. Catherine, St. Elizabeth, St. James, St. Mary, St. Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland. All parishes are governed by a directly elected parish council, except for Kingston and St. Andrew's which are governed by the same body.
[3]
According to the Jamaican government website, these authorities are responsible for 'maintaining infrastructure and public facilities such as parochial roads, water supplies, drains, parks and recreational centres, markets, transportation centres and public sanitary conveniences'.
[4]
Some parish capitals also have mayors.
[1]
Regulatory services
[
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]
Responsibility for
water and sanitation policies
within the government rests with the Ministry of Water and Housing, and the main service provider is the National Water Commission. An autonomous regulatory agency, the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), approves tariffs and establishes targets for efficiency increases, and also oversees the
telecommunications industry
.
[6]
Foreign relations
[
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]
Jamaica
has diplomatic relations with most nations and is a member of the
United Nations
,
The Commonwealth
and the
Organization of American States
. Historically, Jamaica has had close ties with the UK. Trade, financial, and cultural relations with the United States are now predominant. Jamaica is linked with the other countries of the English-speaking Caribbean through the
Caribbean Community
(CARICOM), and more broadly through the
Association of Caribbean States
(ACS).
See also
[
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]
References
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]