Government Senator Sophia Fraser-Binns Liburd, has rejected calls for a referendum on the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as a “double standard,” noting that there were no similar cries regarding the passage of the Charter of Rights. “I fail to see the wisdom in having a referendum to determine the CCJ. It cannot be that we are seeking a referendum...

The objective of Jamaica’s full participation in the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is to ensure that justice is in the reach of all citizens, Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, has emphasised. Mr. Golding, who opened the debate on the three CCJ Bills, in the Senate, on October 16, said the Bills, which were passed earlier in the...

Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) President, Sir Dennis Byron, is expressing satisfaction with the achievements of the court, which is marking a decade of existence this year. In an interview with JIS News, Sir Byron said during its 10 years of operation, the CCJ has exceeded many of its expectations. “Although we have only had four countries joining the final...

The Senate, on Friday (September 25), approved a Bill, which seeks to  modernise the regulatory framework within which banks operate. The Banking Services Act amended and consolidated the existing Banking Act, Financial Institutions Act and sections of the Building Societies Act, into one governing Act. Regulations in the Bill deal with the hours of opening; establishment of branches; licence fees; amalgamation...

Persons breaching stipulations under the Weights and Measures (Amendment) Act, 2015, will now be fined up to $1 million under the revised legislation, which was passed with two amendments in the Senate on Friday, September 25. The Act, which was debated and approved in the House of Representatives earlier this month, establishes standard mechanisms for weighing and measuring equipment, and...

Chief Justice, Hon. Zaila McCalla, has called on judicial officers throughout the Caribbean to commit to setting high standards for the delivery of justice. “There is an ever closing gap between the people and the law in the pursuit of equality and justice, amidst the realities of the various social, economic and cultural norms. We therefore must set high standards…...

Justice Minister, Senator the Honourable Mark Golding, made an impassioned plea for “political consensus between the government and the Opposition” when the Senate debates the proposed adoption of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as Jamaica’s final court. The debate is scheduled to commence in the Upper House in mid October. The three companion Bills, among other things, seek to...