PNP signals intention to challenge Portmore parish bill in court

By Kimone Witter    

 

People's National Party (PNP) legal advisor Anthony Hylton has removed any doubt that the party will be taking the passage of the Portmore parish bill to the Constitutional Court.

 

Mr. Hylton says the party's position was cemented on Friday when government senators voted to pass the Counties and Parishes (Amendment) Act 2025, granting parish status to the municipality, despite concerns raised about its constitutionality.

 

Speaking at a town hall meeting in Portmore on Sunday evening, Mr. Hylton said government senators appeared uncomfortable during the debate on the Bill in the Upper House. 

 

"As the sun rise in the east and as the sun set in the west, they will be sued for their illegal conduct," he vowed. "And dem cyah tek it back cause when mi listen to the Senate on Friday, dem a seh hush we never really mean it... but it gone bad already and we can't trust them, and so we have to make the courts tell them seh what them up to is no good." 

 

The Electoral Commission of Jamaica, in a letter to Parliament dated February 12, stated that the proposed Portmore parish boundary may negatively affect a provision of the Constitution.

 

The Bill was passed in the House of Representatives on February 11.

 

The ECJ also said the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development was advised in a letter dated June 18, 2024 that the proposed Portmore Parish boundaries may negatively affect the boundaries of a constituency as stated in the Second Schedule of the Jamaica (Constitution) Order in Council 1962.