PNP says gov't disrespectful of its position on Jamaica's final court of appeal

By Kimone Witter    

 

People's National Party president Mark Golding has suggested that the government is being disrespectful of the opposition's position on Jamaica's final appellate court.

 

Mr. Golding says Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness must address the matter of the final court before opposition members continue their participation on the Joint Select Committee of Parliament considering the Constitutional Amendment Act.

 

Opposition members on the Joint Select Committee, including Mr. Golding, withdrew from the Committee last week in protest over the direction of the debate on the changes to the Constitution.

 

The parliamentary opposition has declared its support for Jamaica moving to the Caribbean Court of Justice as its final court.

 

The government has indicated that a decision on the final court will not be made at this time.

 

Speaking at a party meeting in Stewart Town, St. Mary on Sunday, Mr. Golding reiterated and defended the PNP's stance on the matter. 

 

"We want full decolonisation now. We want it for you...the ordinary Jamaican people so you have access to justice. We're tired of the situation since slavery days where you can't go to your final court because it is not accessible to you," he asserted. 

 

"We have not boycotted this joint select committee. I have said, and I said it at the first meeting that the committee, we want to know what the government's position is and we want to hear it from the prime minister as to why he wants to continue with our system where the Jamaican people don't have effective access to their final court; why he wants to keep that as a system on the people," said Mr. Golding. 

 

 

At Sunday's meeting, Omar Woodbine was presented as the caretaker for the St. Mary Western constituency.