Members of the Opposition walked out of Parliament on Tuesday, October 1 after a private members motion, expressing no confidence in Prime Minister Andrew Holness moved by Oppoistion Leader Mark Golding was struck down.

This after deputy house speaker Heroy Clarke noted that Golding was out of order in raising the motion as the matter is sub-judice. This means that it is now in court and therefore prohibited from public discussion elsewhere.

“When I read from the Erskine May Parliamentary practice paragraph 2, page 333, matters awaiting judicial decisions that the motion relates to a matter that is now before the court and if it is because there is a matter now under judicial consideration it ought not to be discussed as it is sub judice. At this time, I am now ruling that this motion will not be entertained,” Clarke said.

In his response, Golding noted that he was not aware that matter was sub judice. He quickly led a walkout after failing to get his point across which was struck down by the deputy house speaker.

Cheers could be heard on the other side of the Parliament as the opposition members made their way through the door.

Member of Parliament for South West St Catherine Everald Warmington argued that the motion must not be entertained as Parliament was not notified of the motion the stipulated two days before the sitting of the House.

“Convention is any such motion must be sent to the clerk of the house two day before and this is what we have been doing all the while and the gentleman across there who is supposed to be the leader of that side always mentions everyday convention, and he want to breach that today? You can’t send resolution or nothing all during the sitting of the house, the clerk ought to receive that two days ago, so it cannot be entertained. If it was signed before then I would go to the maize where it is concerned. …it must be ignored Madam Speaker…,” he said.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Juliet Holness confirmed that a signed copy of the motion was presented to her during the sitting of the Parliament.

“Myself has repeated on many occasions that things need to get to the Parliament on time so that we can read and ensure we follow the proper procedures. We were in fact notified by email that a motion would come, but it didn’t come until just before I got to Parliament, and it does take some time to review and ensure that motions are properly laid. A signed copy of the motion came to the desk when Member Paulwell came to desk during the sitting of the Parliament, and I just came in a moment ago and I noted the opposition walking out. I was coming back to tell them, I went out because I was completing my review so that they could go ahead and debate if they so chose; however, even though they heard as much, they continued to walk out,” Holness said.

Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr said it was unfortunate that the Opposition chose to walk out on such a matter.

“The Opposition is led by an attorney that is fully aware there is no ambiguity in the rule of sub judice. It is a rule that is essential in preventing interference in legal proceedings and prevent the risk of undermining the fairness of any trial or any matter that is before the court being adjudicated. But what will happen is that they will use it as a tool to attempt to cause persons looking on to think that there is an effort to block the motion and that is what is unfortunate. The continuous effort to manipulate the minds of Jamaican people,” Charles Jr argued.

He said the Opposition is willing to breach and destroy the standing orders in the pursuit of power.

Mark Golding in a media release on Tuesday, said the motion underscores a pressing need for accountability and ethical governance in Jamaica.

“By concealing that he was under investigation, the Prime Minister has not only violated the Ministerial Code of Conduct but has also undermined the public trust essential for effective governance,” Golding stated. “This act of concealment raises serious questions about his credibility and fitness to lead.”

According to the Opposition, the motion calls for the following actions:

• A condemnation of the Prime Minister for failing to uphold ethical standards in government.
• A censure for his actions of cover-up regarding the identities of those under investigation.
• A declaration that his actions have severely undermined his credibility, leading to a loss of confidence within the House.

“This motion represents a pivotal moment for our democracy. We must hold our leaders accountable to the highest standards of conduct. The Jamaican people deserve a government that prioritizes integrity, transparency, and trust,” Golding said.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has moved to file a lawsuit in the Supreme Court to have an Integrity Commission report regarding his financial affairs rejected, for the most part, as unlawful and unfair.

The report which was tabled in Parlaiment in recent weeks revealed an unexplained growth in Holness net worth and concerns surrounding funding and operations of companies linked to Holness.

There has since been ongoing calls from the Opposition for the Prime Minister to step aside amid an ongoing investigation into his financial affairs.