Justice Minister urges renewed push toward Jamaica becoming a republic
Key Points(5)
- Jamaica — Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Delroy Chuck is calling for renewed parliamentary action on Jamaica’s transition to a republic, urging lawmakers to revisit and advance legislation aimed at removing the British monarch as head of state.
- Chuck made the appeal during his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on June 10, where he pressed Members of Parliament to re-examine the Constitution (Amendment) (Republic) Act, 2024.
- “For Jamaica’s sake, let us look at the Bill and see how it can be amended, if necessary, and modified so that this Parliament, at the earliest possible time, can debate and remove the monarch.
- We need to become a republic, there is no need to delay this process,” he said.
- The proposed constitutional changes form part of a broader and long-running national conversation on Jamaica’s governance structure and the role of the British monarchy.
Jamaica Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Delroy Chuck is calling for renewed parliamentary action on Jamaica’s transition to a republic, urging lawmakers to revisit and advance legislation aimed at removing the British monarch as head of state.
Chuck made the appeal during his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on June 10, where he pressed Members of Parliament to re-examine the Constitution (Amendment) (Republic) Act, 2024.
“For Jamaica’s sake, let us look at the Bill and see how it can be amended, if necessary, and modified so that this Parliament, at the earliest possible time, can debate and remove the monarch. We need to become a republic, there is no need to delay this process,” he said.
The proposed constitutional changes form part of a broader and long-running national conversation on Jamaica’s governance structure and the role of the British monarchy.
Chuck also indicated that discussions around Jamaica’s final appellate court would be taken to the public through a series of constitutional town hall meetings. He suggested several models for consideration, including hybrid arrangements similar to Hong Kong’s system, while also emphasizing the importance of a distinctly Jamaican final court.
“The final appellate court has many possibilities. We can go the route of Hong Kong, where the final appellate court consists of international judges and Hong Kong judges and they sit at the final appellate court. I don’t mind if the final appellate court in Jamaica, that five Caribbean court judges sit, but it must be a Jamaican final court,” he argued.
The minister also called on Opposition Leader Mark Golding to help restart and advance the constitutional reform process, stressing the need for bipartisan agreement.
“We can do a fair amount of piecemeal, putting in the Electoral Commissioner of Jamaica as a part of it, the Public Defender and other pieces. But without the consensus of this Parliament, it doesn’t make sense,” he said.
Chuck added that while several constitutional amendments are already prepared, progress depends on building political consensus to ensure reforms can be implemented effectively.
In the meantime, the Ministry of Justice continues its public education campaign on constitutional reform, including the distribution of more than 400 Jamaican-branded copies of the Constitution as part of ongoing outreach efforts.
“We look forward to a renewed effort to get our Constitution reflecting what we want,” Chuck said.
