Montague and Wheatley return to Cabinet; Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs to be joined with justice portfolio

Dr Andrew Wheatley and Robert Montague have been recalled for duty in Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness' Cabinet, while the Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, which was led by Marlene Malahoo Forte, is to be joined with the Justice Ministry.

Wheatley has been appointed Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Science, Technology and Special Projects.

He resigned from the Cabinet in 2018 to allow for the issues surrounding the management of the Energy, Science and Technology portfolio to be ventilated.

Montague has been named Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development responsible for Land Titling and Settlements. He resigned in 2022 in the wake of a damning Integrity Commission report on the Firearm Licensing Authority.

Meanwhile, Matthew Samuda is now Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, a change from his previous appointment as a minister without portfolio.

The ministers were sworn in a short while ago at a ceremony at King's House in St Andrew.

Governor General Sir Patrick Allen told Cabinet members their service must be marked by "diligence, transparency and the genuine desire to uplift the most vulnerable".

"Govern so that your legacy is not measured by popularity, but by the positive differences felt in the daily lives of Jamaicans," he added.

Full list of ministers:

- Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Minister of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development – Dr Andrew Holness

- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security and Peace - Dr Horace Chang

- Minister of Finance and the Public Service – Fayval Williams

- Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade – Senator Kamina Johnson Smith

- Minister of Tourism – Edmund Bartlett

- Minister of Health and Wellness – Dr Christopher Tufton

- Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport – Olivia Babsy Grange

- Minister of Justice, Legal and Constitutional Affairs – Delroy Chuck

- Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information – Senator Dana Morris Dixon

- Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce – Senator Aubyn Hill

- Minister of Local Government and Rural Development – Desmond McKenzie

- Minister of Labour and Social Security – Pearnel Charles Jr

- Minister of Transport, Telecommunications and Energy – Daryl Vaz

- Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining – Floyd Green

- Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change – Matthew Samuda

- Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation – Ambassador Audrey Marks

- Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Science, Technology and Special Projects – Andrew Wheatley

- Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development responsible for Land Titling and Settlements – Robert Montague

- Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development with responsibility for Works – Robert Morgan

In the meantime, Kamina Johnson Smith, Aubyn Hill and Dr Dana Morris Dixon were appointed as senators during today's ceremony.

The following persons will be appointed as Senators with effect from Thursday:

1. Tom Tavares-Finson

2. Charles Sinclair

3. Abka Fitz-Henley

4. Keith Duncan

5. Sherene Golding Campbell

6. Kavan Anthony Gayle

7. Marlon Morgan

8. Dr Elon Thompson

9. Rose Marie Bennett-Cooper

10. Christian Tavares-Finson

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