House of Representatives passes bill amending Constitution for Jamaica’s republic transition
Vanassa McKenzie / Our Today
The House of Representatives, on Tuesday (May 29), passed a bill to amend section 61 of the Jamaican Constitution to provide new words of enactment.
Words of enactment indicate the source of authority for the making of an enactment and signify the supreme authority of the Parliament on legislative matters.
Constitutional Affairs Minister Marlene Malahoo Forte, speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday, (May 29), stated that this move is a step in the right direction as Jamaica seeks to become a republic.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are on the road to the Republic. We are taking this step by step in sequence; it doesn’t matter how long it takes; it is the right journey in the right direction we are on. It doesn’t matter how often we stumble. It doesn’t matter how rocky the road is; we are on the journey and we are making progress,” she said.
Malahoo Forte added that this bill is an implementation of recommendations made some 31 years ago by the Constitution Commission.
“When Queen Elizabeth II died, the issue of the words of enactment in the Constitution became a live issue, and different views contended on how we should approach this matter. The Parliament took a decision, but I maintain that the better view is that while you can use the Interpretation Act, and in this case, the Interpretation Act of 1889, that applies to the interpretation of the Constitution of Jamaica, While you can use it to find the meaning of the words in the Constitution, you cannot use it to amend the literal text of the Constitution,” the Minister explained.
This amendment seeks to give effect to a constitution enacted by Parliament and approved by the Jamaican people.
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