Jamaica amends constitution to increase retirement age of director of public prosecutions and auditor general

DESPITE objections from Opposition Members of Parliament on [25 July], the constitution was amended by legislators to increase the retirement age of the director of public prosecutions (DPP) and the auditor general (AuG). [...] Prior, Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck, in piloting the Bill, explained that the Constitution of Jamaica establishes a retirement age of 60 for the position of the AuG and the DPP via sections 96(1) and 121(1), respectively. He said that the Pensions (Public Service) Act, which was promulgated in 2017, sought to, among other things, gradually increase the retirement age of public officers to 65 years. [...] Chuck pointed out that this was due mainly to the fact that the constitutionally established ceiling for the age of retirement for the AuG and the DPP is actually five years shorter in duration when compared to the upper limit set in the Pensions (Public Service) Act for a public officer in the civil service. [...] Opposition Leader Mark Golding said he strongly objected to the constitutional amendment, which was brought to the House without prior notice, without any consultation concerning provisions to do with the appointment or extension of tenure of the DPP and the auditor general. [...] "In relation to those provisions, consultation with the leader of Opposition is required, whether for appointment or for extension, yet we are amending those provisions without any prior consultation," he said. He noted that, furthermore, the Constitutional Reform Committee, which is dealing with the reform of the constitution, "has not been seized with this matter; it has not been discussed there." [...] Golding said that the Opposition will be taking legal advice on the matter to see whether or not they can challenge it in court based on the procedure being followed and the overall surrounding circumstances that have led the Government to proceed in this way.
Read the full article here: Jamaica Observer