Marlene Malahoo Forte held prominent positions in the Andrew Holness-led administration, both as Attorney General and as Minister for Constitutional Affairs.

She was expected to prepare the legal framework for Jamaica’s transition to a republic, a task that would require great legal acumen and skill.

A new ministry was created with her at the helm, and a brand new building was constructed to house it.

She was close to the prime minister and considered widely as within his circle of trust. He, in turn, gave her considerable latitude. He heeded and sought her advice, betting on vaunted legal expertise.

However, she got it wrong in practically every instance she faced off against the Opposition. Andrew Holness would have noted that, so the question is, was he happy with what she brought to the table? Instead, he appears to be sticking with the tried-and-tested Delroy Chuck, who has always been dependable.

The move to alter constituency boundaries to make Portmore a parish was a big defeat for the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and a bitter pill for Malahoo Forte to swallow.

She made an absolute dog’s dinner of the implementation of NIDS, and she mangled the legal groundwork required. The PNP took great delight in bloodying her nose and putting her on her back.

NIDS was supposed to be a major achievement of the Andrew Holness administration, and Malahoo Forte dropped the ball.

Many Jamaican legal luminaries questioned whether she had the right stuff to be Attorney-General, but the high command at the JLP gave her the benefit of the doubt.

Some pointed to her lack of appointment to the position of Supreme Court judge when she was a registered magistrate, with some believing she didn’t have the chops for that upgrade. Others felt she pushed too soon and that her time would come later – it was a questioning of timing, and she would become a better jurist with experience.

Some say fundamentally changing Jamaica’s constitution is a major step for this country, and its legal underpinning would have to be first removed and then replaced, a huge undertaking. Malahoo-Forte was tasked with leading the way on the road to republicanism. But then people look at how quickly Prime Minister Mia Mottley was able to transition Barbados to a republic and wonder.  

Based on the new appointments, Andrew Holness clearly has had second thoughts. At one point, it looked likely that she would lose her seat against young Andre Haughton, and reinforcements had to be brought in to get her over the line.

Having seen the JLP seat count severely diminished and fearing yet another big legal defeat in this new term, Holness made the prudent move of merging Constitutional Affairs with the Ministry of Justice and letting Delroy Chuck, an experienced minister, preside over it. After successive losses at court against the PNP, Marlene Marlahoo Forte would have to be called off the field of play, have an early shower then sit on the bench.

Holness did not allow sentimentality into his decision-making, and Forte was ignominiously relegated to the back benches, with young lions Matthew Samuda, Floyd Green and Delano Seiveright ahead of her in the pecking order.

A literal Icarus-esque fall from Attorney General, to Minister of Constitutional Affairs with a prominent place at the Cabinet table, to a seat on those uncomfortable chairs on the back benches. It really is a reversal of fortune.

So what will she do now? Will she eat ‘humble pie’, be a team player and wait for another opportunity, or will she throw her toys out of the stroller, unable to bear the indignity of her come down?

The next few months will reveal her character.