Jamaica, one of the islands of the Caribbean and member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), has decidedly little power over the cases that reach the highest level of appeal, thus raising concerns about its sovereignty. Although members of the Jamaican parliament advocated for implementing the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the court of highest appeal, parliament has yet to ratify the CCJ to serve that function. Instead, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) in the United Kingdom remains Jamaica's court of highest appeal. Although there have been renewed calls for Jamaica to ratify the CCJ, Volume XLVI staff member Tasha Brown argues that ratifying the CCJ may not be Jamaica's best option. This post explores an alternative route for Jamaica to exercise its sovereignty in judicial proceedings at the highest level of appeal.
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