Constitutions

Jamaica

The Laws of Jamaica exist under the Constitution of 1962. Except for the entrenched
sections, the Constitution may be altered by a majority of all the members of each of the
two Houses of Parliament. The Constitution states the rules regarding the executive, the
legislature, a judicature and the public service. It contains provisions relating to
Jamaican citizenship and to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual.

The Jamaican Constitution provides protection of the right to life; protection from
arbitrary arrest or detention; protection of freedom of movement; protection from
inhuman treatment; protection from arbitrary and unjust deprivation of property;
protection for privacy of home and other property; provision to secure the protection of
the law; protection from discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, place of origin,
political beliefs, colour, creed or sex.

Some sections of the Constitution are entrenched, or specially entrenched, because

they are considered extremely important. These sections can only be amended in
special ways. Entrenched sections may be amended in the following ways:

The Bill for amendment must be passed by a two-thirds majority of all the
members of each House.

A period of three months must pass between the introduction of the Bill in the
House and the start of the debate on it.

Another three-month period must pass between the end of the debate and the
passing of the Bill in the House.

If the Senate refuses to pass the Bill after the House has sent it up on two
occasions, a referendum may be held. If the amendment is then approved by
three-fifths of the electorate voting the Bill may be sent to the Governor General
for his assent.

The same procedure must be followed in amending a specially entrenched

section. In addition, the Bill for amendment must be put before the voters in a
referendum, after passage through both Houses. If it then receives a majority
vote of the electors, the Bill may be sent to the Governor-General for his assent.

If the Senate refuses to pass the Bill after it has been twice sent to the House of
Representatives, the Bill may again be put before the voters in a referendum. If it
is approved by two-thirds of the electors it may be presented to the Governor-
General for his assent.
Constitutional Reform

In July 1977, a Constitutional Reform Programme was launched to review certain

aspects of the Jamaican Constitution. As a result of a decision to widen the scope of a
reform programme to encompass all aspects of the Constitution, a Constitutional
Commission was launched in 1991 to undertake a systematic review of the Constitution.
The Commission will hear submissions from various interest groups and members of
the public, in order to achieve a fair representation of the wished and aspirations of the
Jamaican people, with regard to the amendments to be made to the Constitution.

Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness

Belize
The Constitution of Belize is the supreme law of the Constitutional monarchy of Belize.
It was signed on 21 September 1981 and entered into force at the same date. The
Constitution is Chapter 4 of the Laws of Belize, and is divided into a preamble, twelve
parts and four schedules. The Constitution provides for a clear separation of powers,
expressed in parts 4 to 6. This Constitution does not contain provisions concerning the
protection of intellectual property rights, however, the right to property is guaranteed as
a fundamental right under article 3 and protection from deprivation thereof is guaranteed
by article 17 of the Constitution.
Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow

Sri Lanka
The Constitution of Sri Lanka revolves around a President invested with broad
executive powers. It has 172 articles, recognizes Buddhism as the state religion, and
guarantees a broad range of fundamental rights. The Constitution also establishes the
duties of the state and the citizen. It is the task of the state to establish a democratic
socialist state, ensure the distribution of wealth, oversee economic development, and
raise educational and cultural standards. It must also commit itself to the
decentralization of the government and the promotion of national identity through the
elimination of discrimination. In return, it is the duty of the citizen to foster national unity
by relinquishing their personal rights to ensure racial or religious harmony and protect
public health and morality.

President of Sri Lanka - Maithripala Sirisena