Jamaica’s Minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, Senator A.J. Nicholson, has reiterated the government’s position that it is not practical to have a referendum on the matter of Jamaica’s accession to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
“Let us tear down this referendum wall. It does not prove to be good sense in history, it is not good sense in logic, it is not practical,” he said while making his contribution to the debate on the three Bills to establish the CCJ as Jamaica’s final appellate body in the Senate on November 20th.
Nicolson, who is also leader of government business in the Senate, further argued that none of the 41 countries that have left the Privy Council and established their own court “has gone route of a referendum”.
In addition, he contended that Jamaica does not possess the power to implement or enforce a decision to remain with the Privy Council.
