Republic Legislation Tabled in Jamaican Parliament

Jamaica’s Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Marlene Malahoo Forte, presents a bill to the Parliament to abolish the British monarchy and transition the country to a republic. A Jamaican president will be a ceremonial head of state. This is only the first step as the bill must still go through several stages including committee scrutiny, a vote in Parliament and a national referendum. Progress since has been slow and the referendum has not yet been held. Work has been again delayed by the general election to be held on 3 September 2025. Although successive Jamaican governments and Prime Ministers have been pro-republic for many years, this is the first time that legislation to progress the change has made it into parliament. Four of the former 12 British colonies in the Caribbean have become republics: Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica and Barbados. In the last few years, mostly recently in Jamaica, members of the British royal family have faced protests during tours and open demands for an apology and reparations for transatlantic slavery. Seeking reparations from Britain was at the top of Caribbean and African nations demands at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in October 2024 with King Charles presiding. [“Jamaica tables bill to oust King Charles as head of state and become a republic” by Natricia Duncan and Anthony Lugg, The Guardian online, 13 December 2024]