Of the nearly two billion citizens of the Commonwealth, more than half are under the age of twenty-five. That provides our association with a strong foundation for the future. Of course, we all face significant challenges. Some people live in conditions of conflict or insecurity. Others have suffered the impact of natural disasters, such as flooding or hurricanes, which can...

On February 14, 2001, the Heads of Government of a number of States in the Caribbean region, including Jamaica, signed an Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice. This Agreement was, in due course, ratified by Jamaica and a sufficient number of other countries to be formally in existence, although it has not yet come into operation. By this Agreement,...

Earlier today the Privy Council handed down its decision in the litigation concerning the Caribbean Court of Justice (the CCJ). This judgment will affect not only Jamaica but other countries in the region with similar constitutional arrangements. The effect of the legislation under review would have been to abolish appeals to the Privy Council and to substitute a right of...

The triple murder of Sue-Ann, Dwayne and four-year old Shanice in Killoncholly, St. Mary is a stark reminder that there are those in our midst, who have resorted to the highest level of brutality. It is a tragedy of unspeakable proportion. This is not an isolated incident and follows on what is becoming a trend of vicious attacks against our...

I note with concern a news item in the local media, covering the release of a report from the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) yesterday (January 18) about the status of labour standards in Jamaica. Although not captured in the news story, the ICFTU credits Jamaica with ratifying all eight (8) core conventions of the International Labour Organization,...

Mr. Speaker, members of this Honourable House will no doubt recall that last year I committed myself and the Government of Jamaica to an annual review of the National Minimum Wage and the Minimum Wage for Industrial Security Guards. As I explained then, the thinking was to remove the uncertainty occasioned by random reviews, which in some cases was as...

The earthquake and resulting tsunami that affected the continents of Asia and Africa on December 26 is without a doubt the largest and most catastrophic disaster in recent memory. Over 150,000 persons have lost their lives. Millions more are now without shelter and face imminent danger. The affected countries will require the assistance of the entire international community to assist...