Errol Green bats for Jamaica to have its own final court

WESTERN BUREAU:

Errol Greene, trustee of the Lay Magistrates Association of Jamaica (LMAJ), is supportive of the view that Jamaica should establish its own final court of appeal, arguing that the nation possesses the legal expertise and maturity to administer justice independently.

Green, who was speaking at the LMAJ St James Chapter’s annual general meeting in Montego Bay, on Wednesday, described the continued reliance on the UK-based Privy Council as outdated, expensive, and inaccessible to ordinary Jamaicans.

“Let me make it clear my brothers and my sisters, I for one believe that we as Jamaicans can manage our own affairs. I am not a supporter of the Privy Council and we do in my opinion have eminent judges and lawyers in Jamaica to administer justice,” he said.

Green nonetheless acknowledged that no system is perfect, but emphasised national readiness.

“Oh yes, mistakes are going to be made, but mistakes are made at the Privy Council too. I believe that we can paddle our own canoe, and I believe that we have matured enough as a country where we can manage our own affairs,” he said.

Greene also highlighted access to justice as a major concern, especially for those unable to afford appeals to London.

“One of the challenges of the justice system is access to our final court of appeal. Let us face it, how many of us have access to the Privy Council? Recently, we have the case of Vybz Kartel, and I’m not here to say whether he’s guilty or he is innocent, but if he had not the means to go to the Privy Council, he would be languishing in prison today,” he said.

“How many other persons are languishing in prison because they don’t have access to Jamaica’s final court of appeal, and then part of the challenges, again, is a perceived corruption and mistrust in parts of the system,” stated Greene. “There’s a negative impact on the system where we constantly hear the cries of the Jamaican people when something happens, “we want justice”.

For Greene, the issue transcends legal reform and touches on dignity and fairness.

“How many of our people can afford to take a case to London? Justice must not be something reserved for the wealthy. It must be for every Jamaican, regardless of their station in life,” he insisted.

CALLS FOR UNITY

Calling for unity across political lines, Greene urged lawmakers to view the matter through the lens of national development.

“This is bigger than party lines. It is about sovereignty, it is about confidence in ourselves, and it is about ensuring that justice is within the reach of the people we serve,” he said.

Green, a former LMAJ president, used the opportunity to remind fellow justices of the peace and lay magistrates of their responsibility to educate communities about the importance of judicial independence.

“At the end of the day, we must trust our own. If we cannot believe in Jamaica’s ability to manage its justice system at the highest level, then we are saying we cannot believe in Jamaica itself,” he argued.

Pressed by journalists to comment on the Opposition People’s National Party’s push for Jamaica to adopt the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as its final appellate court, Greene declined to take a position.

“It was deliberate when I didn’t mention it [CCJ] in my remarks earlier,” he said.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has consistently advocated for a final court located in Jamaica, a stance he reinforced during the 2025 leadership debate.

“My position is that Jamaica should have its own local court as its final appellate court, but I also do respect the Caribbean Court of Justice, of which we are a part of its original jurisdiction,” Holness said.