Constitution of Jamaica, 1962

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The Jamaica (Constitution) Order in Council 1962

Made ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 23rd July 1962
Laid before Parliament ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 24th July 1962

Coming into Operation-
Section 3(2) of the Order in Council,
and sections 80, 81, 94(1) and (2), 103, 104, 111, 124 and 125 (in part) of the

Constitution ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 25th July1962
Remainder ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Immediately before the 6th August 1962

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 23rd day of July, 1962

Present,

THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY IN COUNCIL

Her Majesty, by virtue and in exercise of the powers in that behalf by subsection (1) of section 5 of the West Indies Act, 1962 or otherwise in Her vested, is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, as follows:-

  1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Jamaica (Constitution) Order in Council 1962.

(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (2) of section 3 of this Order, this Order shall come into operation immediately before the appointed day (in this Order referred to as "the commencement of this Order"):

Provided that where by or under this Order the Governor-General has power to make any appointment or to make any Order or to do any other thing for the purposes of this Order that power may be exercised by the Governor of the Colony of Jamaica at any time after the twenty-fourth day of July, 1962 to such extent as may, in his opinion, be necessary or expedient to enable the Constitution established by this Order to function as from the commencement of this Order.

  1. (1) The Orders in Council specified in the First Schedule to this Order (hereinafter referred to as "the existing Orders") are hereby revoked.

(2) Notwithstanding the revocation of the existing Orders the following Regulations-

    1. the Public Service Regulations, 1961,
    2. the Judicial Service Regulations, 1961,
    3. the Police Service Regulations, 1961, and
    4. the Jamaica (Constitution) (Retirement of Entitled Officers) Regulations, 1961,

made thereunder and all amendments thereto shall continue in force subject to such adaptations or modifications as may be made thereto by or under section 4 of this Order and subject to amendment or repeal by the authority having power to amend or revoke the same.

(3) With effect from the commencement of this Order paragraph (f) (which specifies Jamaica) of the definition of the "the Territories" in subsection (1) of section 2 of the British Caribbean Court of Appeal Order in Council 1962 is revoked.

  1. (1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (2) of this section and the other provisions of this Order, the Constitution of Jamaica set out in the Second Schedule to this Order (in this Order referred to as "the Constitution") shall come into force in Jamaica at the commencement of this Order.

(2) This subsection and the following provisions of the Constitution-

    1. sections 80 and 81,
    2. subsections (1) and (2) of section 94,
    3. sections 103 and 104,
    4. section 111,
    5. section 124,

section 125 to the extent only as to enable a Director of Public Prosecutions to be appointed before the appointed day, shall come into force in Jamaica on the twenty-fifth day of July 1962:

Provided that in relation to any period prior to the appointed day references in these provisions of the Constitution-

    1. to the Governor-General and the Prime Minister shall be construed as references to the Governor and Premier respectively of the Colony of Jamaica;
    2. to Parliament and to the House of Representatives shall be construed as references to the Legislature and the House of Representatives constituted under the existing Orders; and
    3. to the Chief Justice or a Judge of the Supreme Court shall be construed as references to the Chief Justice or a Judge of the Supreme Court holding office under the existing Orders.
  1. (1) All laws which are in force in Jamaica immediately before the appointed day shall (subject to amendment or repeal by the authority having power to amend or repeal any such law) continue in force on and after that day, and all laws which have been made before that day but have not previously been brought into operation may (subject as aforesaid) be brought into force, in accordance with any provision in that behalf, on or after that day, but all such laws shall, subject to the provisions of this section, be construed, in relation to any period beginning on or after the appointed day, with such adaptations and modifications as may be necessary to bring them into conformity with the provisions of this Order.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the preceding subsection, in any law which continues in force on and after the appointed day or which, having been made before that day, is brought into force on or after that day, unless the context other wise requires-

    1. references to the Governor shall, in relation to any period beginning on or after the appointed day, be construed as references to the Governor-General;
    2. references to the Legislature or to either chamber thereof shall, in relation to any period as aforesaid, be construed as references to the Parliament, or to the corresponding House thereof, established by the Constitution;
    3. references to any office (or to the person holding or acting in it) connected with either chamber of the Legislature shall, in relation to any such period as aforesaid be construed as references to the corresponding office (or the person holding or acting in it) constituted by or under the Constitution;
    4. references to the Cabinet, to the premier or to any other Minister shall, in relation to any such period as aforesaid, be construed as references respectively to the Cabinet established by the Constitution to the Prime Minister appointed for the time being under the Constitution and to the corresponding Minister so appointed;
    5. references to the Secretary to the Cabinet shall, in relation to any such period as aforesaid, be construed as references to the Secretary to the Cabinet established by the Constitution;
    6. references to the Privy Council shall, in relation to any such period as aforesaid, be construed as references to the Privy Council established by the Constitution;
    7. references to the Judicial Service Commission, the Public Service Commission or the Police Service Commission shall, in relation to any such period as aforesaid, be construed as references respectively to the Judicial Service Commission, the Public Service Commission or the Police Service Commission established by the Constitution;
    8. references to any other office (or to the person holding or acting in it) constituted by or under the existing Orders or to any other authority or body so constituted shall, in relation to any such period as aforesaid, be construed as references respectively to the corresponding office (or to the person holding or acting in it) or the corresponding authority or body constituted by or under the Constitution.

(3) For the purposes of this Order the Senate is the corresponding House to the Legislative Council constituted under the existing Orders.

(4) The Governor-General may, by Order published in the Gazette, declare-

    1. for the purposes of paragraphs (c) and (h) of subsection (2) of this section, what is the corresponding office, authority or body referred to in either of those paragraphs; and
    2. for the purposes of paragraph (d) of that subsection, who is the corresponding Minister referred to in that paragraph.

(5)

    1. The Governor-General may, by Order made at any time within a period of two years commencing with the appointed day and published in the Gazette , make such adaptations and modifications in any law which continues in force in Jamaica on and after the appointed day, or which having been made before that day, is brought into force on or after that day, as appear to him to be necessary or expedient by reason of anything contained in this Order.
    2. Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (a) of this subsection any Order made thereunder may transfer to the Director of Public Prosecutions any function by any such law vested in the Attorney-General.
    3. An Order made by the Governor-General under this subsection shall have effect from such date, not earlier than the appointed day, as may be specified therein.
  1. Without prejudice to the provisions of the preceding section and for the avoidance of doubt, it is hereby declared that any resolution of the House of Representatives passed before the appointed day and any law enacted by the Legislature before that day (whether such resolution was passed or such law enacted before or after the making of this Order) relay have effect for the purposes of section 117 of the Constitution as if they were respectively a resolution of the House of Representatives established by the Constitution or a law enacted by the Parliament so established.
  2. (1) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Order, the House of Representatives constituted under the existing Orders (in this section referred to as "the existing House of Representatives") shall be the House of Representatives of Jamaica during the period beginning with the commencement of this Order and ending with the first dissolution of Parliament thereafter.

(2) The persons who immediately before the commencement of this Order are members of the existing House of Representatives shall be members of the House of Representatives established by this Order and as from that time shall be deemed to have been elected as such in pursuance of section 36 of the Constitution and shall hold their seats in that House in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

(3) The persons who immediately before the commencement of this Order are Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the existing House of Representatives shall be Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively of the House of Representatives established by this Order and as from that time shall be deemed to have been elected as such in pursuance of section 43 of the Constitution and shall hold office in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

(4) The Standing Orders of the existing House of Representatives as in force immediately before the commencement of this Order shall with such adaptations and modifications as may be necessary to bring them into conformity with this Order, be the first Standing Orders of the House of Representatives established by the Constitution as if they had been made in pursuance of section 51 of the Constitution.

(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in subsection (2) of section 64 of the Constitution (but subject to the provisions of subsections (3) and (4) of that section) Parliament shall, unless sooner dissolved, stand dissolved on the tenth day of April 1967.

  1. The Standing Orders of the Legislative Council constituted under the existing Orders as in force immediately before the commencement of this Order shall, with such adaptations and modifications as may be necessary to bring them into conformity with this Order, be the first Standing Orders of the Senate established by the Constitution as if they had been made in pursuance of section 51 of the Constitution.
  2. Until other provision is made in that behalf, the salary and allowances payable to members of either House, the President and Deputy President of the Senate, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries shall be those payable to the persons last holding the corresponding offices immediately before the commencement of this Order.
  3. (1) Any person who, immediately before the commencement of this Order holds office as Clerk or Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Council or of the House of Representatives shall, as from that time, hold the like office of Clerk or Deputy Clerk of the Senate or of the House of Representatives as if he had been appointed thereto under section 47 of the Constitution, and shall, until other provision is made in accordance with the provisions of that section, hold office on the same terms of service as applied to him immediately before the commencement of this Order.

(2) Any other person who, immediately before the commencement of this Order holds an office on the staff of the Clerk of the Legislative Council or on the staff of the Clerk of the House of Representatives shall hold the like office on the staff of the Clerk of the Senate or on the staff of the Clerk of the House of Representatives as from that time as if he had been appointed thereto under section 47 of the Constitution.

  1. (1) The person who, immediately before the commencement of this Order, holds the office of Premier shall, as from that time hold office as Prime Minister as if he had been appointed thereto under section 70 of the Constitution; the persons who, immediately before the commencement of this Order, are members of the House of Representatives and hold office as other Ministers shall, as from that time, similarly hold the like offices under the Constitution; and references in the Constitution to the Cabinet shall be construed accordingly.

(2) Where any Minister who holds office as from the commencement of this Order under the provisions of the preceding subsection is, by virtue of a direction given under the existing Orders, charged immediately before the commencement of this Order with responsibility for any subject or department, he shall be deemed as from the commencement of this Order to have been charged with the responsibility for the corresponding subject or department of government under subsection (1) of section 77 of the Constitution.

  1. Any person who, immediately before the commencement of this Order, is a member of the House of Representatives and holds office as a Parliamentary Secretary shall, as from that time hold office as Parliamentary Secretary as if he had been appointed thereto under the provisions of section 78 of the Constitution.
  2. The person who, immediately before the commencement of this Order holds office as Secretary of the Cabinet shall, as from that time, hold office as Secretary to the Cabinet as if he had been appointed thereto under the provisions of section 92 of the Constitution.
  3. (1) The Supreme Court in existence immediately before the commencement of this Order shall be the Supreme Court for the purposes of the Constitution, and the Chief Justice and other Judges of the Supreme Court holding office immediately before the commencement of this Order shall, as from that time, continue to hold the like offices as if they had been appointed thereto under the provisions of Chapter VII of the Constitution.

(2) Until other provision is made under and in accordance with the provisions of section 101 of the Constitution, the salaries and allowances of the Judges of the Supreme Court shall be the salaries and allowances to which the holders of those offices were entitled immediately before the commencement of this Order.

  1. (1) Any proceedings pending immediately before the commencement of this Order on appeal from the Supreme Court to the British Caribbean Court of Appeal may be continued after the commencement of this Order before the Court of Appeal established by the Constitution.

(2) Any judgment of the Supreme Court of the Federation of The West Indies or of the British Caribbean Court of Appeal in an appeal from a court of Jamaica given but not satisfied, before the commencement Order, may be enforced after the commencement of this Order as if it were a judgment of the Court of Appeal established by the Constitution.

  1. The Court of Appeal established by the Constitution may have and exercise such jurisdiction and powers in respect of the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands as may be conferred upon it by any law for the time being in force in the Cayman Islands or the Turks and Caicos Islands, as the case may be, and may for the purpose of exercising that jurisdiction sit either in Jamaica or in the Cayman Islands or in the Turks and Caicos Islands as the case may be.
  2. Until provision is made under and in accordance with subsection (4) of section 120 of the Constitution, the salary and allowances of the Auditor-General shall be the salary and allowances to which the holder of that office was entitled immediately before the commencement of this Order.
  3. (1) Where any office has been established for the former Colony of Jamaica by or under the existing Orders or any existing law, and the Constitution establishes the same or an equivalent office for Jamaica, not being the office of Prime Minister, Minister, or Parliamentary Secretary, any person who, immediately before the commencement of this Order, is holding or acting in the former office shall, so far as is consistent with the provisions of this Order, be deemed as from the commencement of this Order to have been appointed to or to act in the latter office in accordance with the provisions of this Order and to have taken any necessary oath under this Order.

(2) Subject to the provisions of this Order, every person who, immediately before the commencement of this Order holds or is acting in a public office shall, as from that time, continue to hold or act in the like office as if he had been appointed thereto or to act therein in accordance with the provisions of this Order.

(3) The provisions of this section shall be without prejudice to-

    1. the provisions of section 6 of this Order; and
    2. any powers conferred by or under this Order upon any person or authority to make provision for the abolition of offices and the removal of persons holding or acting in any office.

(4) In this section "existing law" means such a law as is referred to in subsection (1) of section 4 of this Order.

  1. Any matter which, immediately before the commencement of this Order, is pending before the Privy Council established under the existing Orders shall as from the commencement of this Order, be continued before the Privy Council established by the Constitution.
  2. (1) Any power of the Governor of the Colony of Jamaica acting on the recommendation of a Commission established by the existing Orders (in this section referred to as "an existing Commission") which has been validly delegated to any person or authority under those Orders shall, as from the commencement of this Order, be deemed to have been delegated to that person or authority in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

(2) Any matter which, immediately before the commencement of this Order, is pending before an existing Commission or, as the case may be, before any person or authority to whom the power to deal with such matter has been validly delegated under the existing Orders shall as from the commencement of this Order be continued before the Judicial Service Commission established by the Constitution or the Public Service Commission or the Police Service Commission so established or, as the case may be, the said person or authority:

Provided that where an existing Commission or, as the case may be, any person or authority as aforesaid has, immediately before the commencement of this Order, partly completed the hearing of a disciplinary proceeding (in this section referred to as "the original hearing"), no person shall take part in the continued hearing unless he has also taken part in the original hearing; and where by virtue of this subsection the original hearing cannot be so continued the hearing of the disciplinary proceedings shall be recommenced.

  1. (1) Any person who, immediately before the commencement of this Order, holds any office established by or under the existing Orders and who does not, as from the date of such commencement, hold any public office shall be entitled to the leave, beginning with the commencement of this Order, for which under the terms of service applicable to him immediately before the commencement of this Order he was then eligible:

Provided that if any such person holds, or is acting in, as from the commencement of this Order, any office established by or under the Constitution, the leave to which he is entitled under this section shall begin when he relinquishes that office.

(2) When any person is on leave under the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, he shall be regarded as still in the office which he held immediately before the commencement of this Order.

  1. (1) Parliament may alter any of the provisions of sections 1 to 22 (inclusive), other than section 15, of this Order including this section in the same manner as it may alter the provisions of the Jamaica Independence Act, 1962.

(2) Parliament may amend from time to time or repeal, in so far as it forms part of the law of Jamaica, section 15 of this Order by an Act passed in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section 49 of the Constitution.

  1. (1) In this Order references to any body or to any office shall be construed, in relation to any period before the commencement of this Order, as references to such body or such office as constituted by or under the existing Orders, and references to the holder of any office shall be similarly construed.

(2) The provisions of section 1 of the Constitution shall apply for the purposes of interpreting this Order as they apply for interpreting the Constitution.


 

The Constitution of Jamaica

Arrangement of sections

CHAPTER I
PRELIMINARY

1. Interpretation.
2. Effect of this Constitution.

CHAPTER II
CITIZENSHIP

3. Persons who become citizens on 6th August 1962.
4. Persons entitled to be registered as citizens.
5. Persons born in Jamaica after 5th August 1962.
6. Persons born outside Jamaica after 5th August 1962.
7. Marriage to citizen of Jamaica.
8. Deprivation of citizenship -on, acquisition or exercise of rights of another citizenship.
9. Commonwealth citizens.
10. Criminal liability of Commonwealth citizens.
11. Powers of Parliament.
12. Interpretation.

CHAPTER III
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

13. Fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual.
14. Protection of right to life.
15. Protection from arbitrary arrest or detention.
16. Protection of freedom of movement.
17. Protection from inhuman treatment.
18. Compulsory acquisition of property.
19. Protection for privacy of home and other property.
20. Provisions to Secure protection of law.
21. Protection of freedom of conscience.
22. Protection of freedom of expression.
23. Protection of freedom of assembly and association.
24. Protection from discrimination on the grounds of race, etc.
25. Enforcement of protective provisions.
26. Interpretation of Chapter III.

CHAPTER IV
THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL

27. Establishment of office of Governor-General.
28. Oaths to be taken by Governor-General.
29. Acting Governor-General.
30. Deputy to Governor-General.
31. Personal staff of Governor-General.
32. Exercise of Governor-General's functions.
33. Broad Seal.

CHAPTER V
PARLIAMENT

PART I
Composition of Parliament

34. Establishment of Parliament.
35. Senate.
36. House of Representatives.
37. Qualifications and disqualifications for electors.
38. Electoral law.
39. Qualification for membership of Senate and House of Representatives.
40. Disqualification for membership of Senate and House of Representatives.
41. Tenure of office of Senators and Members of House of Representatives.
42. President and Deputy President of Senate.
43. Speaker and Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives.
44. Determination of questions as to membership.
45. Filling of vacancies.
46. Unqualified persons sitting or voting.
47. Clerks to Houses of Parliament and their staffs.

PART 2
Powers and Procedure of Parliament

48. Power to make laws.
49. Alteration of this Constitution.
50. Special Acts of Parliament.
51. Regulation of procedure in Houses of Parliament.
52. Presiding in Senate and House of Representatives.
53. Quorum.
54. Voting.
55. Introduction of Bills, etc.
56. Restriction on powers of Senate as to Money Bills.
57. Restriction on powers of Senate as to Bills other than Money Bills and certain other Bills.
58. Provisions relating to sections 55, 56 and 57.
59. Restriction on powers of Senate as to certain statutory instruments.
60. Assent to Bills.
61. Words of enactment.
62. Oath of allegiance.

PART 3
Summoning, prorogation and dissolution

63. Sessions of Parliament.
64. Prorogation and dissolution of Parliament.
65. General elections and appointment of Senators.

PART 4
Delimitation of Constituencies

66. Establishment of first constituencies.
67. Standing Committee of House of Representatives.

CHAPTER VI
EXECUTIVE POWERS

68. Executive authority of Jamaica.
69. Cabinet.
70. Appointment of Ministers.
71. Vacancy of office of Ministers.
72. Performance of Prime Minister's functions in certain events.
73. Temporary Ministers.
74. Oaths.
75 Presiding in Cabinet.
76: Governor-General to be informed concerning matters of Government.
77. Assignment of responsibility to Ministers.
78. Parliamentary Secretaries.
79. Attorney-General.
80. Leader of the Opposition.
81. Certain vacancies in office of Leader of Opposition.
82. Privy Council.
83. Tenure of office of members of Privy Council.
84. Incapacity of member of Privy Council.
85. Provisional appointments to Privy Council.
86. Senior Member of Privy Council.
87. Attendance of Governor-General.
88. Summoning of Privy Council and procedure.
89. Validity of proceedings of Privy Council.
90. Prerogative of mercy.
91. Pardon in capital cases.
92. Secretary to the Cabinet.
93. Permanent Secretaries.
94. Establishment of office and functions of Director of Public Prosecutions.
95. Remuneration of Director of Public Prosecutions.
96. Tenure of office of Director of Public Prosecutions.

CHAPTER VII
THE JUDICATURE

PART 1
The Supreme Court

97. Establishment of the Supreme Court.
98. Appointment of Judges of the Supreme Court.
99. Acting Judges of the Supreme Court.
100. Tenure of office of Judges of the Supreme Court.
101. Remuneration of Judges of the Supreme Court.
102. Oaths to be taken by Judges of the Supreme Court.

PART 2
Court of Appeal

103. Establishment of the Court of Appeal.
104. Appointment of Judges of the Court of Appeal.
105. Acting Judges of the Court of Appeal.
106. Tenure of office of Judges of the Court of Appeal.
107. Remuneration of Judges of the Court of Appeal.
108. Oaths to be taken by Judges of the Court of Appeal.
109. Number of judges.

PART 3
Appeals to Her Majesty in Council

110. Appeals from Court of Appeal to Her Majesty in Council.

PART 4
Judicial Service Commission

111. Composition of Judicial Service Commission.
112. Appointment of Judicial officers.
113. Delegation of functions of Judicial Service Commission.

CHAPTER VIII
FINANCE

114. Consolidated Fund.
115. Estimates.
116. Authorization of Expenditure.
117. Meeting expenditure from Consolidated Fund.
118. Contingencies Fund.
119. Public Debt.
120. Auditor-General.
121. Tenure of office of Auditor-General.
122. Functions of Auditor-General.

CHAPTER IX
THE PUBLIC SERVICE

PART 1
General

123. Interpretation.
124. Public Service Commission.
125. Appointment, etc. of public officers.
126. Permanent Secretaries.
127. Delegation of functions of Public Service Commission.
128. Appointment, etc. of principal representatives of Jamaica abroad.

PART 2
Police

129. Police Service Commission.
130. Appointment, etc. of police officers.
131. Delegation of functions of Police Service Commission.

PART 3
Pensions

132. Applicability of pensions law.
133. Pensions, etc. to be charged on Consolidated Fund.
134. Grant and withholding of pensions, etc.

CHAPTER X
MISCELLANEOUS

135. Powers and procedure of Commissions.
136. Protection of Commissions, etc. from legal proceedings.
137. Resignations.
138. Re-appointments, etc.

FIRST SCHEDULE
Oaths.

SECOND SCHEDULE
Number and Boundaries of Constituencies.

THIRD SCHEDULE
Provisions relating to applicability of the Commissions of Enquiry Law to Tribunals appointed under this Constitution.

The Constitution of Jamaica

Chapter I
Preliminary

  1. (1) In this Constitution unless it is otherwise provided or the context otherwise requires-
    - "Act of Parliament" means any law made by Parliament;
    - "the appointed day" means the sixth day of August, 1962;
    - "the Broad Seal" means the Broad Seal of Jamaica;
    - "the Cabinet" means the Cabinet established by section 69 of this Constitution;
    - "the Clerk" and "the Deputy Clerk" mean respectively the Clerk and the Deputy Clerk of either House, as the context may require;
    - "the Commonwealth" means Jamaica, any country to which section 9 of this Constitution applies and any dependency of any such country;
    - "the Consolidated Fund" means the Consolidated Fund established by section 114 of this Constitution;
    - "constituency" means an area of Jamaica having separate representation in the House of Representatives;
    - "defence force" means any naval, military or air force of the Crown in right of the Government of Jamaica;
    - "the financial year" means the twelve months ending on the 31st day of March in any year or on such other date as may from time to time be prescribed by Act of Parliament;
    - "the Gazette" means the Jamaica Gazette;
    - "House" means either the Senate or the House of Representatives as the context may require;
    - "Jamaica" has the meaning attributed to that expression in the Jamaica Independence Act, 1962;
    - "law" includes any instrument having the force of law and any unwritten rule of law and "lawful" and "lawfully" shall be construed accordingly;
    - "oath of allegiance" means the oath of allegiance set out in the First Schedule to this Constitution;
    - "Parliament" means the Parliament of Jamaica;
    - "police officer" means a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force or any force, by whatever name called, for the time being succeeding to the functions of the Jamaica Constabulary Force;
    - "the President" and "the Deputy President" mean respectively the President and the Deputy President of the Senate elected under section 42 of this Constitution;
    - "Privy Council" means the Privy Council established by section 82 of this Constitution;
    - "public office" means any office of emolument in the public service;
    - "public officer" means the holder of any public office and includes any person appointed to act in any such office;
    - "the public service" means, subject to the provisions of subsections (5) and (6) of this section, the service of the Crown in a civil capacity in respect of the Government of Jamaica (including service as a member of the Judicial Service Commission, the Public Service Commission or the Police Service Commission) and includes public service in respect of the former Colony of Jamaica;
    - "session" means, in relation to a House, the sittings of that House commencing when it first meets after this Constitution comes into force or after the prorogation or dissolution of Parliament at any time and terminating when Parliament is prorogued or is dissolved without having been prorogued;
    - "sitting" means, in relation to a House, a period during which that House is sitting continuously without adjournment and includes any period during which the House is in committee;
    - "the Speaker" and "the Deputy Speaker" mean respectively the Speaker and Deputy Speaker elected under section 43 of this Constitution.

(2) Save where this Constitution otherwise provides or the context otherwise requires-

    1. any reference in this Constitution to an appointment to any office shall be construed as including a reference to an appointment on promotion or transfer to that office and to the appointment of a person to perform the functions of that office during any period during which it is vacant or during which the holder thereof is unable (whether by reason of absence or infirmity of body or mind or any other cause) to perform those functions; and
    2. any reference in this Constitution to the holder of an office by the term designating his office shall be construed as including a reference to any person for the time being lawfully performing the functions of that office.

(3) Where by this Constitution power is conferred on any person or authority to appoint a person to perform the functions of any office if the holder thereof is unable himself to perform its functions, any such appointment shall not be called in question on the ground that the holder of that office was not unable to perform those functions.

(4) For the purposes of this Constitution a person shall not be considered as holding a public office by reason only of the fact that he is in receipt of a pension or other like allowance in respect of public service.

(5) If it is provided by any law for the time being in force that an office (not being an office constituted by this Constitution) shall not be a public office for the purposes of Chapter V of this Constitution, this Constitution shall have effect accordingly as if that provision of that law were enacted herein.

(6) In this Constitution "the public service" does not include service in the office of Governor-General, President, Deputy President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Minister, Parliamentary Secretary, Leader of the Opposition, Senator, member of the House of Representatives, member of the Privy Council, Judge of the Supreme Court or Judge of the Court of Appeal or Clerk or Deputy Clerk of either House or service on the personal staff of the Governor-General or, subject to the provisions of section 79 of this Constitution, service in the office of Attorney-General.

(7) References in this Constitution to the power to remove a public officer from his office shall be construed as including references to any power conferred by any law to require or permit that officer to retire from the public service:
Provided that-

    1. nothing in this subsection shall be construed as conferring on any person or authority power to require a Judge of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal or the Director of Public Prosecutions or the Auditor-General to retire from the public service; and
    2. any power conferred by any law to permit a person to retire from the public service shall, in the case of any public officer who may be removed from office by some person or authority other than a Commission established by this Constitution, vest in the Public Service Commission.

(8) Where any power is conferred by this Constitution to make any Proclamation or order or to give any directions, the power shall be construed as including a power exercisable in like manner to amend or revoke any such Proclamation, order or directions.

(9) No provision of this Constitution that any person or authority shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority in exercising any functions under this Constitution shall be construed as precluding a court from exercising jurisdiction in relation to any question whether that person or authority has performed those functions in accordance with this Constitution or any other law.

(10) Any reference in this Constitution to a law enacted before the commencement of this Constitution shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as a reference to that law as in force immediately before the appointed day.

(11) Where a person is required by this Constitution to make an oath he shall be permitted, if he so desires, to comply with that requirement by making an affirmation.

(12) The Interpretation Act, 1889 as in force on the appointed day, shall apply, with the necessary adaptations, for the purpose of interpreting this Constitution and otherwise in relation thereto as it applies for the purpose of interpreting, and in relation to, Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom.

  1. Subject to the provisions of sections 49 and 50 of this Constitution, if any other law is inconsistent with this Constitution, this Constitution shall prevail and the other law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.

Chapter II
Citizenship

  1. (1) Every person who, having been born in the former Colony of Jamaica, is on the fifth day of August 1962 a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and shall beome a citizen of Jamaica on the sixth day of August 1962.

(2) Every person, who having been born outside the former Colony of Jamaica, is on the fifth day of August 1962 a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies shall, if his father becomes or would but for his death have become a citizen of Jamaica in accordance with the provisions of sunsection (1) of this section, become a citizen of Jamaica on the sixth day of August 1962.

3A. (1) A person-

    1. who was born outside Jamaica before the sixth day of August 1962;
    2. who was not before the 1st day of March 1993, entitled to Jamaican citizenship by virtue of any provisions of this Constitution in force before that date; and
    3. whose father or mother, on the sixth day of August 1962, became or would but for his or her death have become a citizen of Jamaica in accordance with subsection (1) of section 3, shall become a citizen of Jamaica on the 1st day of March 1993.

(2) Subsection (1) shall not affect the rights of any person who, before the 1st day of March 1993, was entitled to Jamaican citizenship by virtue of any provision of this Constitution which was in force before that date.

  1. (1)Any man or woman who, on the fifth day of August 1962, is or had been married to a person-
    1. who becomes a citizen of Jamaica by virtue of section 3 of this Constitution; or
    2. who, having died before the sixth day of August 1962 would but for that person's death, have become a citizen of Jamaica by virtue of that section, shall be entitled, upon making application in such manner as may be prescribed and, if he or she is a British protected person or an alien, upon taking the oath of allegiance, to be registered as a citizen of Jamaica.

(2) Any person who, on the fifth day of August 1962, is a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies-

    1. having become such a citizen under the British Nationality Act, 1948, by virtue of his having been naturalised in the former Colony of Jamaica as a British subject, before that Act came into force; or
    2. having become such a citizen by virtue of his having been naturalised or registered in the former Colony of Jamaica under that Act, shall be entitled, upon making application before the sixth day of August 1964, in such manner as may be prescribed, to be registered as a citizen of Jamaica:

Provided that a person who has not attained the age of twenty-one years (other than a woman who is or has been married) may not make an application under this subsection himself but an application may be made on his behalf by his parent or guardian.

(3) Any man or woman who on the fifth day of August 1962 is or has been married to a person who subsequently becomes a citizen of Jamaica by registration under subsection (2) of this section shall be entitled, upon making application in such manner as may be prescribed and, if he or she is a British protected person or an alien, upon taking the oath of allegiance to be registered as a citizen of Jamaica.

  1. Every person born in Jamaica after the fifth day of August 1962 shall become a citizen of Jamaica at the date of his birth:
    Provided that a person shall not become a citizen of Jamaica by virtue of this section if at the time of his birth-
    1. his father or mother possesses such immunity from suit and legal process as is accorded to an envoy of a foreign sovereign power accredited to Her Majesty in right of Her Government in Jamaica and neither of his parents is a citizen of Jamaica; or
    2. his father or mother is an enemy alien and the birth occurs in a place then under occupation by the enemy.
  2. (1) A person born outside Jamaica after the fifth day of August 1962 shall become a citizen of Jamaica at the date of his birth if at that date his father is a citizen of Jamaica otherwise than by virtue of this section or subsection (2) of section 3 of this Constitution.

(2) Subsection (1) shall not apply to any person who, before the 1st day of March 1993, was not entitled to Jamaican citizenship by virtue of the application of subsection (1) before that date.

(3) Any person-

    1. who is born outside Jamaica after the fifth day of August 1962;
    2. who was not, before the 1st day of March 1993, entitled to Jamaican citizenship by virtue of any provision of this Constitution in force before that day; and
    3. whose father or mother is, at the date of the person's birth, a citizen of Jamaica other than by virtue of this section or subsection (2) of section 3 of this Constitution, shall become a citizen of Jamaica with effect from the 1st day of March 1993, or the date of the person's birth, whichever is the later.

(4) Subsection (3) shall not affect the right of any person who, before the 1st day of March 1993, was entitled to Jamaican citizenship by virtue of any provision of this Constitution in force before that date.

  1. Any man or woman who, after the fifth day of August 1962, marries a person who is or becomes a citizen of Jamaica shall be entitled, upon making application in such manner as may be prescribed and, if he or she is a British protected person or an alien, upon taking the oath of allegiance, to be registered as a citizen of Jamaica.
  2. (1)If the Governor-General is satisfied that any citizen of Jamaica has at any time after the fifth day of August 1962 acquired by registration, naturalization or other voluntary and formal act (other than marriage) the citizenship of any country other than Jamaica, the Governor-General may by order deprive that person of his citizenship.

(2) If the Governor-General is satisfied that any citizen of Jamaica has at any time after the fifth day of August 1962 voluntarily claimed and exercised in a country other than Jamaica any rights available to him under the law of that country, being rights accorded exclusively to its citizens, the Governor-General may by order deprive that person of his citizenship.

  1. (1) Every person who under this Constitution or any Act of Parliament is a citizen of Jamaica or under any enactment for the time being in force in any country to which this section applies is a citizen of that country shall, by virtue of that citizenship, have the status of a Commonwealth citizen.

(2) Every person who is a British subject without citizenship under the British Nationality Act, 1948, or who continues to be a British subject under section 2 of that Act shall by virtue of that status have the status of a Commonwealth citizen.

(3) Save as may be otherwise provided by Parliament, the countries to which this section applies are the United Kingdom and Colonies, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Ceylon, Ghana, the Federation of Malaya, the Federation of Nigeria, the Republic of Cyprus, Sierra Leone, Tanganyika, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and the State of Singapore.

  1. A Commonwealth citizen who is not a citizen of Jamaica, or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland who is not a citizen of Jamaica, shall not be guilty of an offence against any law in force in Jamaica by reason of anything done or omitted in any part of the Commonwealth other than Jamaica or in the Republic of Ireland or in any foreign country unless-
    1. the act or omission would be an offence if he were an alien; and
    2. in the case of an act or omission in any part of the Commonwealth or in the Republic of Ireland, it would be an offence if the country in which the act was done or the omission made were a foreign country.
  2. Parliament may make provision-
    1. for the acquisition of citizenship of Jamaica by persons who do not become citizens of Jamaica by virtue of the provisions of this Chapter;
    2. for depriving of his citizenship of Jamaica any person who is a citizen of Jamaica otherwise than by virtue of section 3 or section 5 or section 6 of this Constitution; or
    3. for the renunciation by any person of his citizenship of Jamaica.
  3. (1) In this Chapter-
    - "alien" means a person who is not a Commonwealth citizen, a British protected person or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland;
    - "British protected person" means a person who is a British protected person for the purposes of the British Nationality Act, 1948;
    - "foreign country" means a country (other than the Republic of Ireland) that is not part of the Commonwealth;
    - "prescribed" means prescribed by or under any Act of Parliament.

(2) [Deleted by Act 6 of 1993.] Any reference in this Chapter to the father of a person shall, in relation to a person born out of wedlock, be construed as a reference to the mother of that person.

(3) For the purposes of this Chapter, a person born aboard a registered ship or aircraft, or aboard an unregistered ship or aircraft of the government of any country, shall be deemed to have been born in the place in which the ship or aircraft was registered or, as the case may be, in that country.

(4) Any reference in this Chapter to the national status of the parent of a person at the time of that person's birth shall, in relation to a person born after the death of his parent, be construed as a reference to the national status of the parent at the time of that parent's death; and where that death occurred before the fifth day of August, 1962, the national status that the parent would have had if he or she had died on the sixth day of August, 1962, shall be deemed to be his or her national status at the time of death.

Chapter III
Fundamental Rights and Freedoms

  1. Whereas every person in Jamaica is entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual, that is to say, has the right, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest, to each and all of the following, namely-
    1. life, liberty, security of the person, the enjoyment of property and the protection of the law;
    2. freedom of conscience, of expression and of peaceful assembly and association; and
    3. respect for his private and family life, the subsequent provisions of this Chapter shall have effect for the purpose of affording protection to the aforesaid rights and freedoms, subject to such limitations of that protection as are contained in those provisions being limitations designed to ensure that the enjoyment of the said rights and freedoms by any individual does not prejudice the rights and freedoms of others or the public interest.
  2. (1) No person shall intentionally be deprived of his life save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been convicted.

(2) Without prejudice to any liability for a contravention of any other law with respect to the use of force in such cases as are hereinafter mentioned, a person shall not be regarded as having been deprived of his life in contravention of this section if he dies as the result of the use of force to such extent as is reasonably justifiable in the circumstances of the case -

    1. for the defence of any person from violence or for the defence of property;
    2. in order to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained;
    3. for the purpose of suppressing a riot, insurrection or mutiny; or
    4. in order lawfully to prevent the commission by that person of a criminal offence, or if he dies as the result of a lawful act of war.
  1. (1) No person shall be deprived of his personal liberty save as may in any of the following cases be authorised by law-
    1. in consequence of his unfitness to plead to a criminal charge; or
    2. in execution of the sentence or order of a court, whether in Jamaica or elsewhere, in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been convicted; or
    3. in execution of an order of the Supreme Court or of the Court of Appeal or such other court as may be prescribed by Parliament on the grounds of his contempt of any such court or of another court or tribunal; or
    4. in execution of the order of a court made in order to secure the fulfilment of any obligation imposed on him by law; or
    5. for the purpose of bringing him before a court in execution of the order of a court; or
    6. upon reasonable suspicion of his having committed or of being about to commit a criminal offence; or
    7. in the case of a person who has not attained the age of twenty-one years, for the purpose of his education or welfare; or
    8. for the purpose of preventing the spread of an infectious or contagious disease; or
    9. in the case of a person who is, or is reasonably suspected to be, of unsound mind, addicted to drugs or alcohol, or a vagrant, for the purpose of his care or treatment or the protection of the community; or
    10. for the purpose of preventing the unlawful entry of that person into Jamaica, or for the purpose of effecting the expulsion, extradition or other lawful removal of that person from Jamaica or the taking of proceedings relating thereto; or
    11. to such extent as may be necessary in the execution of a lawful order requiring that person to remain within a specified area within Jamaica or prohibiting him from being within such an area, or to such extent as may be reasonably justifiable for the taking of proceedings against that person relating to the making of any such order, or to such extent as may be reasonably justifiable for restraining that person during any visit that he is permitted to make to any part of Jamaica in which, in consequence of any such order, his presence would otherwise be unlawful.

(2) Any person who is arrested or detained shall be informed as soon as reasonably practicable, in a language which he understands, of the reasons for his arrest or detention.

(3) Any person who is arrested or detained-

    1. for the purpose of bringing him before a court in execution of the order of a court; or
    2. upon reasonable suspicion of his having committed or being about to commit a criminal offence, and who is not released, shall be brought without delay before a court; and if any person arrested or detained upon reasonable suspicion of his having committed or being about to commit a criminal offence is not tried within a reasonable time, then, without prejudice to any further proceedings which may be brought against him, he shall be released either unconditionally or upon reasonable question authorises the taking during a period of public emergency of measures that are reasonably justifiable for the purpose of dealing with the situation that exists during that period of public emergency.

(6) If any person who is lawfully detained by virtue only of such a law as is referred to in subsection (5) of this section so requests at any time during the period of that detention not earlier than six months after he last made such a request during that period, his case shall be reviewed by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law and presided over by a person appointed by the Chief Justice of Jamaica from among the persons entitled to practice or to be admitted to practice in Jamaica as barristers or solicitors.

(7) On any review by a tribunal in pursuance or subsection (6) of this section of the case of any detained person, the tribunal may make recommendations concerning the necessity or expediency of continuing his detention to the authority by whom it was ordered but, unless it is otherwise provided by law, that authority shall not be obliged to act in accordance with any such recommendations.

  1. (1) No person shall be deprived of his freedom of movement, and for the purposes of this section the said freedom means the right to move freely throughout Jamaica, the right to reside in any part of Jamaica, the right to enter Jamaica and immunity from expulsion from Jamaica.

(2) Any restriction on a person's freedom of movement which is involved in his lawful detention shall not be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section.

(3) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision-

    1. which is reasonably required in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or
    2. for the imposition of restrictions on the movement or residence within Jamaica of any person who is not a citizen thereof or the exclusion or expulsion from Jamaica of any such person; or
    3. for the imposition of restrictions on the acquisition or use by any person of land or other property in Jamaica; or
    4. for the imposition of restrictions upon the movement or residence within Jamaica of public officers, police officers or members of a defence force; or
    5. for the removal of a person from Jamaica to be tried outside Jamaica for a criminal offence or to undergo imprisonment outside Jamaica in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been convicted.

(4) If any person whose freedom of movement has been restricted by virtue only of such a provision as is referred to in paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of this section so requests at any time during the period of that restriction not earlier than six months after he last made such a request during that period, his case shall be reviewed by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law and presided over by a person appointed by the Chief Justice of Jamaica from among the persons entitled to practice or to be admitted to practice in Jamaica as barristers or solicitors.

(5) On any review by a tribunal in pursuance of subsection (4) of this section of the case of any person whose freedom of movement has been restricted, the tribunal may make recommendations concerning the necessity or expediency of continuing that restriction to the authority by whom it was ordered but, unless it is otherwise provided by law, that authority shall not be obliged to act in accordance with any such recommendations.

  1. (1) No person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading punishment or other treatment.

(2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question authorise the infliction of any description of punishment which was lawful in Jamaica immediately before the appointed day.

  1. (1) No property of any description shall be compulsorily taken possession of and no interest in or right over property of any description shall be compulsorily acquired except by or under the provisions of a law that-
    1. prescribes the principles on which and the manner in which compensation therefore is to be determined and given; and
    2. secures to any person claiming an interest in or right over such property a right of access to a court for the purpose of-
      1. establishing such interest or right (if any);
      2. determining the amount of such compensation (if any) to which he is entitled; and
      3. enforcing his right to any such compensation.

(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting the making or operation of any law so far as it provides for the taking of possession or acquisition of property-

    1. in satisfaction of any tax, rate or due:
    2. by way of penalty for breach of the law, whether under civil process or after conviction of a criminal offence;
    3. upon the attempted removal of the property in question out of or into Jamaica in contravention of any law;
    4. by way of the taking of a sample for the purposes of any law;
    5. where the property consists of an animal upon its being found trespassing or straying;
    6. as an incident of a lease, tenancy, licence, mortgage, charge, bill of sale, pledge or contract;
    7. by way of the vesting or administration of trust property, enemy property, or the property of persons adjudged or otherwise declared bankrupt or insolvent, persons of unsound mind, deceased persons, or bodies corporate or unincorporate in the course of being wound up;
    8. in the execution of judgments or orders of courts;
    9. by reason of its being in a dangerous state or injurious to the health of human beings, animals or plants;
    10. in consequence of any law with respect to the limitation of actions;
    11. for so long only as may be necessary for the purposes of any examination, investigation, trial or inquiry or, in the case of land, the carrying out thereon-
      1. of work of soil conservation or the conservation of other natural resources; or
      2. of agricultural development or improvement which the owner or occupier of the land has been required, and has without reasonable and lawful excuse refused or failed, to carry out.

(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting the making or operation of any law so far as it provides for the orderly marketing or production or growth or extraction of any agricultural product or mineral or any article or thing prepared for market or manufactured therefor or for the reasonable restriction of the use of any property in the interests of safeguarding the interests of others or the protection of tenants, licensees or others having rights in or over such property.

(4) Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting the making or operation of any law for the compulsory taking of possession in the public interest of any property, or the compulsory acquisition in the public interest of any interest in or right over property, where that property, interest or right is held by a body corporate which is established for public purposes by any law and in which no monies have been invested other than monies provided by Parliament or by the Legislature of the former Colony of Jamaica.

(5) In this section "compensation" means the consideration to be given to a person for any interest or right which he may have in or over property which has been compulsorily taken possession of or compulsorily acquired as prescribed and determined in accordance with the provisions of the law by or under which the property has been compulsorily taken possession of or compulsorily acquired.

  1. (1) Except with his own consent, no person shall be subject to the search of his person or his property or the entry by others on his premises.

(2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision which is reasonably required-

    1. in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, public revenue, town and country planning or the development and utilisation of any property in such a manner as to promote the public benefit; or
    2. to enable any body corporate established by any law for public purposes or any department of the Government of Jamaica or any local government authority to enter on the premises of any person in order to carry out work connected with any property or installation which is lawfully on such premises and which belongs to that body corporate or that Government or that authority, as the case may be; or
    3. for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime; or
    4. for the purpose of protecting the rights or freedoms of other persons.
  1. (1) Whenever any person is charged with a criminal offense he shall, unless the charge is withdrawn, be afforded a fair hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial court established by law.

(2) Any court or other authority prescribed by law for the determination of the existence or the extent of civil rights or obligations shall be independent and impartial; and where proceedings for such a determination are instituted by any person before such a court or other authority, the case shall be given a fair hearing within a reasonable time.

(3) All proceedings of every court and proceedings relating to the determination of the existence or the extent of a person's civil rights or obligations before any court or other authority, including the announcement of the decision of the court or other authority, shall be held in public.

(4) Nothing in subsection (3) of this section shall prevent any court or any authority such as is mentioned in that subsection from excluding from the proceedings persons other than the parties thereto and their legal representatives-

    1. in interlocutory civil proceedings; or
    2. in appeal proceedings under any law relating to income tax; or
    3. to such extent as the court or other authority-
      1. may consider necessary or expedient in circumstances where publicity would prejudice the interests of justice; or
      2. may be empowered or required by law to do so in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, the welfare of persons under the age of twenty-one years or the protection of the private lives of persons concerned in the proceedings.

(5) Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved or has pleaded guilty:
Provided that nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this subsection to the extent that the law in question imposes upon any person charged as aforesaid the burden of proving particular facts.

(6) Every person who is charged with a criminal offence -

    1. shall be informed as soon as reasonably practicable, in a language which he understands, of the nature of the offence charged;
    2. shall be given adequate time and facilities for the preparation of his defence;
    3. shall be permitted to defend himself in person or by a legal representative of his own choice;
    4. shall be afforded facilities to examine in person or by his legal representative the witnesses called by the prosecution before any court and to obtain the attendance of witnesses, subject to the payment of their reasonable expenses, and carry out the examination of such witnesses to testify on his behalf before the court on the same conditions as those applying to witnesses called by the prosecution; and
    5. shall be permitted to have without payment the assistance of an interpreter if he cannot understand the English language.

(7) No person shall be held to be guilty of a criminal offence on account of any act or omission which did not, at the time it took place, constitute such an offence, and no penalty shall be imposed for any criminal offence which is severer in degree or description than the maximum penalty which might have been imposed for that offence at the time when it was committed.

(8) No person who shows that he has been tried by any competent court for a criminal offence and either convicted or acquitted shall again be tried for that offence or for any other criminal offence of which he could have been convicted at the trial for that offence save upon the order of a superior court made in the course of appeal proceedings relating to the conviction or acquittal; and no person shall be tried for a criminal offence if he shows that he has been pardoned for that offence:

Provided that nothing in any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this subsection by reason only that it authorises any court to try a member of a defence force for a criminal offence notwithstanding any trial and conviction or acquittal of that member under service law; but any court so trying such a member and convicting him shall in sentencing him to any punishment take into account any punishment awarded him under service law.

(9) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of any provision of this section other than subsection (7) thereof to the extent that the law in question authorises the taking during a period of public emergency of measures that are reasonably justifiable for the purpose of dealing with the situation that exists during that period of public emergency.

(10) In paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (6) of this section "legal representative" means a barrister entitled to practice as such in Jamaica or, except in relation to proceedings before a court in which a solicitor has no right of audience, a solicitor who is so entitled.

  1. (1) Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of conscience, and for the purposes of this section the said freedom includes freedom of thought and of religion, freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others, and both in public and in private, to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance.

(2) Except with his own consent (or, if he is a minor, the consent of his parent or guardian), no person attending any place of education shall be required to receive religious instruction or to take part in or attend any religious ceremony or observance if that instruction, ceremony or observance relates to a religion or a religious body or denomination other than his own.

(3) The constitution of a religious body or denomination shall not be altered except with the consent of the governing authority of that body or denomination.

(4) No religious body or denomination shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for persons of that body or denomination in the course of any education provided by that body or denomination whether or not that body or denomination is in receipt of any government subsidy, grant or other form of financial assistance designed to meet, in whole or in part, the cost of such course of education.

(5) No person shall be compelled to take any oath which is contrary to his religion or belief or to take any oath in a manner which is contrary to his religion or belief.

(6) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision which is reasonably required-

    1. in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or
    2. for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedoms of other persons, including the right to observe and practice any religion without the unsolicited intervention of members of any other religion.
  1. (1) Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression, and for the purposes of this section the said freedom includes the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference, and freedom from interference with his correspondence and other means of communication.

(2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision-

    1. which is reasonably required-
      1. in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or
      2. for the purpose of protecting the reputations, rights and freedoms of other persons, or the private lives of persons concerned in legal proceedings, preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, maintaining the authority and independence of the courts, or regulating telephony, telegraphy, posts, wireless broadcasting, television or other means of communication, public exhibitions or public entertainments; or
    2. which imposes restrictions upon public officers, police officers or upon members of a defence force.
  1. (1) Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of peaceful assembly and association, that is to say, his right peacefully to assemble freely and associate with other persons and in particular to form or belong to trade unions or other associations for the protection of his interests.

(2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision -

    1. which is reasonably required-
      1. in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or
      2. for the purpose of protecting the rights or freedoms of other persons; or
    2. which imposes restrictions upon public officers, police officers or upon members of a defence force.
  1. (1) Subject to the provisions of subsections (4), (5) and (7) of this section, no law shall make any provision which is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.

(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (6), (7) and (8) of this section, no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner by any person acting by virtue of any written law or in the performance of the functions of any public office or any public authority.

(3) In this section, the expression "discriminatory" means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed whereby persons of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another such description are not made subject or are accorded privileges or advantages which are not accorded to persons of another such description.

(4) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision -

    1. with respect to persons who are not citizens of Jamaica; or
    2. with respect to adoption, marriage, divorce, burial, devolution of property on death or other matters of personal law; or
    3. for authorising the taking during a period of public emergency of measures that are reasonably justifiable for the purpose of dealing with the situation that exists during that period of public emergency; or
    4. for the imposition of taxation or appropriation of revenue by the Government of Jamaica or any local authority or body for local purposes.

(5) Nothing contained in any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of subsection (1) of this section to the extent that it makes provision with respect to qualifications for service as a public officer, police officer or as a member of a defence force or for the service of a local government authority or a body corporate established by any law for public purposes.

(6) Subsection (2) of this section shall not apply to anything which is expressly or by necessary implication authorised to be done by any such provision of law as is referred to in subsection (4) or (5) of this section.

(7) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision whereby persons of any such description as is mentioned in subsection (3) of this section may be subjected to any restriction on the rights and freedoms guaranteed by sections 16, 19, 21, 22 and 23 of this Constitution, being such a restriction as is authorised by paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section 16, subsection (2) of section 19, subsection (6) of section 21, subsection (2) of section 22 or subsection (2) of section 23, as the case may be.

(8) Nothing in subsection (2) of this section shall affect any discretion relating to the institution, conduct or discontinuance of civil or criminal proceedings in any court that is vested in any person by or under this Constitution or any other law.

  1. (1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (4) of this section, if any person alleges that any of the provisions of sections 14 to 24 (inclusive) of this Constitution has been, is being or is likely to be contravened in relation to him, then, without prejudice to any other action with respect to the same matter which is lawfully available, that person may apply to the Supreme Court for redress.

(2) The Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction to hear and determine any application made by any person in pursuance of subsection (1) of this section and may make such orders, issue such writs and give such directions as it may consider appropriate for the purpose of enforcing, or securing the enforcement of, any of the provisions of the said sections 14 to 24 (inclusive) to the protection of which the person concerned is entitled:

Provided that the Supreme Court shall not exercise its powers under this subsection if it is satisfied that adequate means of redress for the contravention alleged are or have been available to the person concerned under any other law.

(3) Any person aggrieved by any determination of the Supreme Court under this section may appeal therefrom to the Court of Appeal.

(4) Parliament may make provision, or may authorise the making of provision, with respect to the practice and procedure of any court for the purposes of this section and may confer upon that court such powers, or may authorise the conferment thereon of such powers, in addition to those conferred by this section as may appear to be necessary or desirable for the purpose of enabling that court more effectively to exercise the jurisdiction conferred upon it by this section.

  1. (1) In this Chapter, save where the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the following meanings respectively, that is to say-
    - "contravention", in relation to any requirement, includes a failure to comply with that requirement, and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly;
    - "court" means any court of law in Jamaica other than a court constituted by or under service law and-

                                 i.            in section 14, section 15, section 16, subsections (3), (4), (6), (8) (but not the provison thereto) and (10) of section 20, and subsection (8) of section 24 of this Constitution includes, in relation to an offence against service law, a court so constituted; and

                               ii.            in section 15 and subsection (8) of section 24 of this Constitution includes, in relation to an offence against service law, an officer of a defence force, or the Police Service Commission or any person or authority to whom the disciplinary powers of that Commission have been lawfully delegated;


- "member", in relation to a defence force or other armed force, includes any person who, under the law regulating the discipline of that force, is subject to that discipline;
- "service law" means the law regulating the discipline of a defence force or of police officers.

(2) References in sections 14, 15, 16 and 18 of this Constitution to a "criminal offence" shall be construed as including references to an offence against service law and such references in subsections (5) to (9) (inclusive) of section 20 of this Constitution shall, in relation to proceedings before a court constituted by or under service law, be similarly construed.

(3) Nothing done by or under the authority of the law of any country other than Jamaica to a member of an armed force raised under that law and lawfully present in Jamaica shall be held to be in contravention of this Chapter.

(4) In this Chapter "period of public emergency" means any period during which-

                               c.            Jamaica is engaged in any war; or

                              d.            there is in force a Proclamation by the Governor-General declaring that a state of public emergency exists; or

                               e.            there is in force a resolution of each House supported by the votes of a majority of all the members of that House declaring that democratic institutions in Jamaica are threatened by subversion.

(5) A Proclamation made by the Governor-General shall not be effective for the purposes of subsection (4) of this section unless it is declared therein that the Governor-General is satisfied-

                                f.            that a public emergency has arisen as a result of the imminence of a state of war between Jamaica and a foreign State or as a result of the occurrence of any earthquake, hurricane, flood, fire, outbreak of pestilence, outbreak of infectious disease or other calamity whether similar to the foregoing or not; or

                               g.            that action has been taken or is immediately threatened by any person or body of persons of such a nature and on so extensive a scale as to be likely to endanger the public safety or to deprive the community, or any substantial portion of the community, of supplies or services essential to life.

(6) A Proclamation made by the Governor-General for the purposes of and in accordance with this section -

                               h.            shall, unless previously revoked, remain in force for one month or for such longer period, not exceeding twelve months, as the House of Representatives may determine by a resolution supported by the votes of a majority of all the members of the House;

                                 i.