In a landmark ruling, Jamaica’s Constitutional Court has ruled that traffic fines were illegally imposed on motorists over a 15-year period, but citizens will have to wait until after April to hear the procedure to claim a refund.

The ruling was handed down on January 26, after software engineer Maurice Housen filed a lawsuit when he received a J$5,000 ticket for speeding in July 2021, which is significantly more than the J$800 fine recommended by the legislation. In the suit, it was contended that the amended fines had not yet been implemented and, therefore, had no legal standing since the fines were to be based on the 1938 version of the act, which the court agreed.

The ruling means that there are motorists spanning 15 years that are now entitled to a refund for fines imposed over the period. It also means that the Government will have refund billions of dollars collected for the illegal traffic fines. The refund process will be known after the next court date in April of this year.

Attorneys for Housen and the Government are to return to court to suggest the refund mechanism, after which it will be made public.

Law firm Myers, Fletcher & Gordon, which represented Housen in the matter, will, in due course, publish a statement advising members of the public on the procedure for refund.

Motorists claiming the refund will have to provide proof of the ticket and proof of payment.