Deadline for Submission of Nominations for Honours and Awards is March 31

The deadline for submission of nominations for the 2005 National Civil Honours and Awards is Thursday, March 31, 2005. The awardees, who are to be announced on Independence Day (August 6), will receive their honours and awards during the National Heroes Day celebration in October.
Candidates may be nominated for the Order of Merit, the Order of Jamaica and the Order of Distinction (Commander and Officer ranks). Nominations may also be submitted for the award of the Badge of Honour for Gallantry, Meritorious Service and for Long and Faithful Service.
These are just some of the awards for which Jamaicans are eligible.
The highest honour, which can be conferred on any civilian, is that of National Hero. This honour can be conferred on any person “who was born in Jamaica, or is, or at the time of his/her death, was a citizen of Jamaica and rendered to Jamaica service of the most distinguished nature”.
For this honour, an Advisory Committee appointed by the Prime Minister is mandated to make investigations to determine the eligibility of the person or persons, living or dead, upon whom the honour is to be conferred. Based on the findings, the Prime Minister makes a recommendation to the Governor General.
The next highest honour, which is the Order of the Nation, is granted to Governors General of Jamaica, or to any person who is appointed a Prime Minister, but who has not yet been conferred with the honour of National Hero. The award is not dependent on the performance of the individual and is an honour conferred on the individual and not the office. After demitting office, the individual continues to be addressed as ‘Most Honourable’.
There is also the Medal of Honour, awarded to members of the uniformed services namely, the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF), the Correctional Services and the Jamaica Fire Brigade.
The medals are awarded by the Governor General on the recommendations of the Heads of the services concerned. Each service also has a Medal of Honour for Gallantry, which is given to members who perform acts of gallantry or heroism and have shown great courage in circumstances of grave danger. These are rarely given and are sometimes awarded posthumously in cases where the individual dies in service.
Meanwhile, the Medal of Honour for Meritorious Service is awarded to officers and members of the service who have given distinguished service or displayed distinguished conduct or bravery.
The JDF also has a Medal of Honour for General Service, peculiar to the body, which recognizes those engaged in military operations overseas.
There is also the Efficient Service Award for members of the JCF, which is granted to persons who have served for 12 or more years in the reserve force. This is in addition to the Long Service and Good Conduct Awards, which are bestowed on individuals who have completed a number of years of service with good conduct.
The honours and awards system has been in force since 1970.