THE EDITOR, Sir:
I MUST make clear from the outset that I am in favour of replacing the UK-based Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), our own regional court of appeal. However, I beg to differ on the method through which such a body should be assigned its mandate.
I am now fully convinced that the government should have a referendum on the issue so that the people of Jamaica can decide on the final rung of their judicial process. I am aware that the Privy Council is not deeply entrenched in our Constitution and can be changed by an Act of Parliament, however, not all logical decisions are ethical, and this particular one is surrounded by several issues of ethics and good governance.
An Act of Parliament for the change to the CCJ would be a more welcome one if our Members of Parliament were in touch with the people and could truly represent the views of the people in their constituencies, as opposed to the stance of their parties. I wonder how many parliamentarians have discussed the matter with their constituents?
EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN
Apart from a few publications accessible to a few, and programmes via the electronic media throwing around high flown legal terms, I can remember no educational campaign to reach those who are most likely to require the services of the CCJ, or those for whom the official language, English, is not their everyday language. Here I raise Professor Hubert Devonish's issue of respecting the 'linguistic human rights' of all members of the society, and I know that there are many persons out there who still don't understand the issues surrounding the establishment of the CCJ. This is not because they cannot understand, but that the debates have been conducted in a language which they might only have partial command of.
The parties use Creole for election campaigns in both the print and electronic media, so why not on issues like these which are no less important? I strongly believe that to move ahead with the change now would be to disenfranchise a huge section of our (tax-paying) population.
The role of any good leader is not so much to wield power, but to empower.
I am etc.,
JOSEPH T. FARQUHARSON
jotifa@yahoo.com
Sidney Sussex College
University of Cambridge
United Kingdom
Via Go-Jamaica
