THE EDITOR, Sir:
CARICOM Heads of Government seem hell-bent on the establishment of the CCJ despite a large body of opinion to the contrary. In particular, the Government of Jamaica still refuses to have a referendum on the matter.
How in heaven's name could you replace the final court of appeal for the Jamaican people without giving them a say in the matter. It was reported that Jamaica's Attorney-General was against having a referendum as it would be "politicised". Well let me send him a news flash: This is a political matter! Since politics is about who gets what, when and where, then the provision of justice for the Jamaican people is most definitely a political issue.
The argument is amazing in its facileness. The Government does not have to have a referendum because its victory in last year's election gives it a mandate, so the argument goes. That election was presumably not 'politicised'.
Politicians have seemingly no problem with everything else in Jamaica being 'politicised', but the CCJ must be protected from this blight at all costs. What rubbish!
What the politicians are showing is that they do not trust the intellect of the Jamican people to separate the issues from a political campaign and to vote accordingly, even forty years afer the Federation referendum. That is a pity.
I am, etc.,
PAUL ELLIS
ellispaul@hotmail.com
St. Augustine, Trinidad
Via Go-Jamaica
