PNP hits back at Tavares-Finson over CCJ position

The People’s National Party (PNP) has hit back at Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson over his recent comments on Jamaica’s proposed accession to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the country’s final appellate court.

The Opposition said Tavares-Finson’s position reflects an attitude that disregards the fundamental issue of ensuring that all Jamaicans, regardless of their economic circumstances, have meaningful access to justice at the highest level.

In a statement Wednesday, the PNP took issue with Tavares-Finson’s declaration that it would be “reckless” for Jamaica to commit to the CCJ.

The Opposition argued that such a position exemplifies what it described as the “uncaring, disrespectful attitude” of Government leaders towards Jamaicans, the vast majority of whom it says are economically challenged.

The PNP said access to justice from Jamaica’s highest court remains an “unimpeded” right largely enjoyed by the wealthy.

It also accused Government leaders of having gone as far as breaching the Jamaican Constitution through the use of pre-signed letters of resignation in an effort to preserve the existing arrangement.

“For Finson and his colleagues, there is nothing ‘reckless’ in a situation in which the overwhelming majority of our people are deprived of the privilege of access to justice,” the PNP said.

“For them, that is a situation in which justice reigns!”

The Opposition also criticised what it described as Jamaica’s continued attachment to the British Privy Council, 64 years after Independence.

The PNP argued that there was nothing “reckless” or degrading about the decisions of other Caribbean countries to adopt the CCJ as their final court.

It pointed specifically to Guyana, Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St Lucia, which it said had committed to the regional court and taken developmental steps to grant their citizens greater access to justice.

The party said Jamaica should similarly move towards a final court that is accessible to its people as part of the country’s transition to full constitutional independence.

“Access to justice should never be determined by wealth,” the PNP said.

The party reiterated its commitment to what it described as Jamaica’s journey towards “genuine judicial independence”, arguing that this must include a final appellate court that is accessible to ordinary Jamaicans.

- Andre Williams

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