Jamaica’s path to becoming a republic remains at a standstill eight months after the current parliamentary session began, with the ruling Jamaica Labour Party and the opposition People’s National Party unable to bridge their differences on constitutional change.
The central point of contention involves whether removing King Charles as head of state should be pursued alongside replacing the UK-based Judicial Committee of the Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice as Jamaica’s highest appellate body.
Opposition Leader Mark Golding has maintained that the PNP will not budge from its stance that genuine decolonisation requires both changes to occur together.
His written request for direct discussions with Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness was turned down, with Dr Holness instead referring him to Justice Minister Delroy Chuck.
Jamaica’s push to become a republic has ground to a halt four years after Catherine and William’s tour
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Mr Golding has argued that 64 years after independence, it would be inappropriate for Jamaica to establish itself as a republic while still having its constitution and laws interpreted at the highest level by what he termed “the King’s Court in London”.
“That is an unacceptable anomaly, which the Opposition will not participate in,” Mr Golding told The Sunday Gleaner.
Justice Chuck, however, characterised the opposition’s position as demanding the Government “bow to his demands that the CCJ should be a part of the initial process”.
The Justice Minister outlined an alternative approach, suggesting the republic could be established first, followed by separate legislation addressing the final court of appeal.
Prince William expressed ‘profound sorrow’ about slavery in a speech during the tour
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“We can go sequentially by putting in place the republic and once he agrees, we can retable another bill that suits both sides,” Justice Chuck stated.
The push for Jamaica to sever ties with the British Crown stretches back nearly five decades.
Michael Manley, then Prime Minister, declared in 1977 that the nation would “shortly become a republic”, but his electoral defeat in 1980 halted those plans.
The issue gained fresh momentum following the March 2022 Caribbean tour by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Catherine and Prince William rode in a Land Rover at the inaugural Commissioning Parade for service personnel from across the Caribbean
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During a televised meeting with the royal couple, Prime Minister Holness announced Jamaica was “moving on” to fulfil its ambitions as an independent nation.
The visit, intended to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee and counter regional republican sentiment after Barbados left the monarchy, instead galvanised opposition.
Activists demanded reparations for slavery, and Prince William’s expression of “profound sorrow” fell short of the full apology many sought.
Catherine and William greeting royal fans during a visit to Trench Town, the birthplace of reggae music
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In December 2024, the Constitution (Amendment) (Republic) Act was formally introduced to Parliament but lapsed when the legislature was dissolved before the 2025 General Election.
Public enthusiasm for breaking away from the monarchy has waned considerably since its peak. A Don Anderson poll conducted in 2022, amid the controversy surrounding the royal tour, recorded 59 per cent backing for a republic.
By late 2024, however, a Bluedot survey commissioned by Nationwide News Network showed explicit support had fallen to just 38 per cent.