Minister of Justice Senator A.J. Nicholson will on Friday make a Ministerial statement in the Senate, outlining plans for the reform of the Constitution and administration of justice.

This plan of action is expected to be implemented during the year.

Information Minister Donald Buchanan told journalists attending Monday's regular weekly post-Cabinet press briefing that Senator Nicholson, who is also Attorney General, has submitted the plan of action to the Cabinet.

"The focus of this plan of action is first of all initiating the process of addressing the fundamental reform of our Constitution based on the recommendations of a Joint Select Committee on Constitutional and Electoral Reform, contained in its 1995 report to Parliament," he disclosed.

Second element of plan

The second element of the plan includes substituting the Appellate Jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice for the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as Jamaica's final Court of Appeal.

The third element of the plan, he said, is the reform of the system of the administration of justice based on the recommendations of the taskforce that is currently reviewing the system and is due to present its report by June.

"This is somewhat anticipatory in terms of the reform of the system of administration of justice in Jamaica," the Information Minister said.

He added that the submission was being put forward at this time so the Government can plan for it financially when it presents the 2007/08 Fiscal Budget.