Dear Editor,

Over the last couple of weeks, and indeed months, the dailies as well as prominent column inches of the Sunday papers have been inundated with commentary by those on both sides of the Caribbean Court of Justice debate.

Truth be told, to use the word “debate” is indeed a misnomer. For up until this point, the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party is yet to put forward any credible argument to support their view.

Former Prime Minister Edward Seaga has tried his utmost to make the case for the country sticking with the existing judicial arrangements with the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC), but his arguments hark back to the black and white days of Federation. The argument of referendum cannot be the sole imperative on which such a critical matter rests. For the cold truth is, their are many Labourites, and indeed Jamaicans, for whom the JCPC is so far out of reach that it may very well be located on Mars.

A judicial creature, indigenous to the region, dispensing indigenous justice is not only geographically and financially more proximal, but also closer in cultural matters of the heart affecting Caribbean and I dare say ordinary Jamaica citizens.

Thinking in an unbiased manner would lead to these realities. But, then again, the fear of unbiased thinking led to the creation of undated resignation letters.

Noel Matherson

noelmatherson@gmail.com