The People’s National Party (PNP) has expressed deep concern at recent statements by President of the Senate, Tom Tavares-Finson, regarding Jamaica’s accession to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the country’s final appellate court.

The PNP says the remarks reflect an attitude that disregards the fundamental issue at stake: ensuring that all Jamaicans, regardless of their economic circumstances, have meaningful access to justice at the highest level.

The President of the Senate, Tom Tavares-Finson, declared that it would be “reckless” for Jamaica to commit to the Caribbean Court of Justice.

The Opposition maintains that such a position exemplifies the uncaring, disrespectful attitude of the government’s leaders towards Jamaicans, the vast majority of whom are economically challenged.

In Jamaica, the human right of unimpeded access to justice from the highest court is a restricted privilege that is enjoyed only by the wealthy, and these same leaders have gone as far as breaching the Constitution of Jamaica with pre-signed letters of resignation in order to keep it that way.

For Finson and his colleagues, there is nothing ‘reckless’ in a situation in which the overwhelming majority of our people are deprived of the privilege of access to justice. For them, that is a situation in which justice reigns!

These leaders are prepared not merely to show grave disrespect to Jamaica’s majority citizens, but also to the authorities in our regional sister states for the developmental steps they have taken to grant to their citizens the right of access to justice.

According to their reckoning, the authorities in Guyana, Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St Lucia have been ‘reckless’ in having committed to the regional final court which is accessible to the people and highly rated on the international circuit.

Shamefully, for them, there is nothing ‘reckless’ or degrading for Jamaica remaining stuck in its attachment to the British Privy Council 64 years after the attainment of political independence.

The PNP therefore reiterates that Jamaica’s transition to full constitutional independence must include a final court that is accessible to the Jamaican people. Access to justice should never be determined by wealth. We remain committed to ensuring that Jamaica completes the journey towards genuine judicial independence.