Tue | Oct 7, 2025

Wake up and smell the coffee on CCJ

Published:Monday | September 11, 2023 | 12:06 AM

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Two recent positive and encouraging letters to the editor by Douglas Leys and Robert Stephens on Jamaica urgently embracing the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) have prompted me to ask that you kindly publish the following, since, for me, these are the unfortunate reminders that their letters have sent.

UK Supreme Court President to the Jamaican Government: “We cannot any longer accommodate appeals from Jamaica in the Privy Council. Our strong preference is that you find yourselves another final court.”

Jamaican Government to the World: “Wi nah guh noh weh”. (Baroness Scotland translates for the Privy Council judges).

UK Supreme Court President to the Baroness: “Dear me! Can you really believe those people who call themselves the Government of Independent Jamaica? Surely, they do not consider that the choice is theirs; that Jamaica still belongs to Britain or that we are still responsible for their people’s welfare and well-being. Recall that the same warning was sent to the Government of your native Dominica, and the world witnessed an expected response. With refreshing and welcome maturity, they proceeded to embrace the CCJ.”

Jamaicans to their Government: “But, please, don’t you see that we have never been able even to access or afford to go to the British court? Plus, this business of the visa requirement”?

Jamaican Government to Jamaicans (their employers): “So what? Dat a fi yuh bad luck; what do we care? Can’t you see that we are busy dealing with the constitutional amendment for a career extension?”

A LAWYER