The People’s National Party (PNP) has expressed deep concern at recent statements by President of the Senate, Tom Tavares-Finson, regarding Jamaica’s accession to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the country’s final appellate court.

Tavares-Finson earlier this week declared that it would be “reckless” for Jamaica to commit to the Caribbean Court of Justice following leaked emails with allegations made by judges of the CCJ, including dictatorial tendencies in the running of the court and a series of inter-personal conflict.

READ: Committing to CCJ would be reckless, says Tavares-Finson

Jamaica’s constitutional reform process has stalled over the disagreement between the Government and the Opposition on whether to replace the UK’s Privy Council with the CCJ.

However, in a media release Wednesday, the PNP said the remarks by Tavares-Finson reflect an attitude that disregards the fundamental issue at stake: ensuring that all Jamaicans, regardless of their economic circumstances, have meaningful access to justice at the highest level.

The Opposition maintains that such a position exemplifies the uncaring, disrespectful attitude of the government’s leaders towards Jamaicans, the vast majority of whom are economically challenged.

“In Jamaica, the human right of unimpeded access to justice from the highest court is a restricted privilege that is enjoyed only by the wealthy, and these same leaders have gone as far as breaching the Constitution of Jamaica with pre-signed letters of resignation in order to keep it that way,” the PNP said.

“For Finson and his colleagues, there is nothing ‘reckless’ in a situation in which the overwhelming majority of our people are deprived of the privilege of access to justice. For them, that is a situation in which justice reigns!” the party added.

It accused the government leaders of being prepared “not merely to show grave disrespect to Jamaica’s majority citizens, but also to the authorities in our regional sister states for the developmental steps they have taken to grant to their citizens the right of access to justice.

“According to their reckoning, the authorities in Guyana, Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St Lucia have been ‘reckless’ in having committed to the regional final court which is accessible to the people and highly rated on the international circuit,” the PNP said.

The Opposition added: “Shamefully, for them there is nothing ‘reckless’ or degrading for Jamaica remaining stuck in its attachment to the British Privy Council 64 years after the attainment of political independence.”

The party said it therefore reiterates that Jamaica’s transition to full constitutional independence “must include a final court that is accessible to the Jamaican people.”

The PNP stressed that, “Access to justice should never be determined by wealth. We remain committed to ensuring that Jamaica completes the journey towards genuine judicial independence.”