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Jamaica

Monthly Event Reports

March 2023 | Prime Minister announces Constitutional Reform Committee

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced on 22 March the establishment of a Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) to oversee and assist in the country’s transformation from a constitutional monarchy towards a republic. The CRC is comprised of 14 members representing diverse sectors, including civil society, academia and youth representatives, government, the parliamentary opposition, chief legal officers, as well as constitutional law and governance experts – under the leadership of Jamaica’s Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Marlene Malahoo Forte.  The CRC has been tasked to provide guidance and oversight throughout the constitutional review process and through the implementation of recommendations. The protracted constitutional reform process will be carried out in three phases that will involve a thorough and comprehensive review of the 1962 Constitution of Jamaica. The government plans to subsequently hold a referendum by the end of 2024 or beginning of 2025, regarding the proposal for Jamaica’s transition to a republic. 

February 2023 | Local government elections postponed for third time

On 21 February, Jamaica’s House of Representatives approved the Representation of the People Act, 2023 (Postponement of Elections to Municipal Corporations and City Municipalities). The bill effectively postponed the country’s local elections for a further 12 months - the third consecutive postponement of local elections in the country. Local elections are constitutionally due every four years and were last held in November 2016. Initially scheduled for November 2020, the elections were postponed to February 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They were then further delayed by the government by 12 months as to avoid public health risks amid the fourth wave of the pandemic. They were due to be held this month, but the government did not approve the budget for the election submitted by the Electoral Office of Jamaica, citing fiscal constraints. Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie has stated that the postponement will allow the country to continue its post-pandemic economic recovery. Local elections in Jamaica are now expected to be held no later than 28 February 2024.

December 2022 | Jamaica renews regional states of emergency due to gang violence

After the measure was rejected in November, the Jamaican government reinstated a state of emergency (SOE) in several areas across the island on 6 December, followed by a renewed SOE on 28 December, effective until 11 January 2023. Jamaica, which has one of the highest homicide rates in the world, previously imposed similar measures over several parishes on 15 November, but that SOE ended after two weeks when the Senate refused to extend it.  The state of emergency is meant to allow authorities to arrest people and search buildings without a warrant in order to rein in rising violence. This has drawn heavy criticism from political opponents and human rights activists, who have warned against a repeat of police brutality and arbitrary detentions that were observed during previous states of emergency in Jamaica.

November 2022 | Jamaica declares regional states of emergency in response to surging crime

On 15 November, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared a State of Public Emergency (SoE) in an attempt to control rising crime linked to gang violence. According to official figures, Jamaica, with the second highest murder rates in the world, has seen a nearly 7 per cent increase in murders since last year. SoEs were declared in several parishes and police divisions across the island, allowing authorities increased powers to arrest suspects and search buildings. However, the SoE came to an end on 29 November after the proposed extension failed to achieve a two-thirds majority in the Senate.

Explore past monthly event reports

GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022

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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
2 973 460
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Andrew Holness (since 2016)
Head of government party
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP)
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
First Past the Post
Women in lower or single chamber
28.6%
Women in upper chamber
38.1%
Last legislative election
2020
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
1.97
Head of state
King Charles III
Selection process for head of state
Hereditary or election by hereditary state rulers
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
11/11/2020
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
70.59%
Population Tooltip
2 973 460
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Andrew Holness (since 2016)
Head of government party
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP)
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
First Past the Post
Women in lower or single chamber
28.6%
Women in upper chamber
38.1%
Last legislative election
2020
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
1.97
Head of state
King Charles III
Selection process for head of state
Hereditary or election by hereditary state rulers
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
11/11/2020
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
70.59%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
No Action
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
State Party
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
No Action
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
American Convention on Human Rights
State Party
Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
No Action
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

Representation neutral Representation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rights
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rule of law
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Participation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024

Global State of Democracy Indices

Hover over the trend lines to see the exact data points across the years

Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Annual value

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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