KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesperson on Environment and Climate Resilience, Omar Newell, has welcomed Wednesday’s landmark ruling by Jamaica’s Constitutional Court, which declared unconstitutional, void and of no effect the 2020 environmental permit granted to Bengal Development Limited for its proposed limestone mining project in the Dry Harbour Mountains in St Ann.

In a statement on Wednesday, Newell noted that the ruling marks a historic victory for the residents of St Ann and for all Jamaicans who believe that economic development must never come at the expense of the environment, public health or constitutional rights.

Critically, it is the first time that the environmental rights provision within Jamaica’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms has been adjudicated by the courts.

Maintaining that the People’s National Party (PNP) had consistently opposed the project, he said that as far back as November 2020, it had publicly condemned the then Government’s intention to grant a provisional mining permit, warning that it posed a grave threat to one of Jamaica’s most ecologically sensitive landscapes, its biodiversity and its critical watershed areas.

“I welcome this historic ruling, which affirms that the people of Jamaica have a constitutional right to a healthy and productive environment. This judgment is a victory for the residents who courageously stood up to protect their community, and for every Jamaican who values sustainable development, transparency and accountability,” said Newell.

He added that the judgment exposes the urgent need for stronger, independent environmental oversight, free from political interference. “Jamaica now needs an independent environmental protection agency, empowered to make evidence-based decisions in the national interest. Our environmental future cannot rest on ministerial discretion. It requires credible institutions with the authority to protect our natural resources for generations to come,” Newell stated.