JAMAICA: Newly-Elected Prime Minister Likely To Back National Referendum On Anti-LGBT “Buggery” Laws

From the Jamaica Gleaner:

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the government will put key constitutional and social issues to a referendum. Holness made the commitment in his inauguration speech yesterday.

However, he did not name the issues which will be put to a vote by Jamaicans. The JLP has strongly opposed Jamaica’s departure from the United Kingdom-based Privy Council to the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the country’s final court.

The party has insisted that Jamaicans should have a say in the country’s final appellate court and maintained that the matter should be put to a referendum. Holness has said that a JLP government would put the matter of Jamaica amending its buggery law to a referendum.

During his campaign, Holness said this:

“You will also know that when it comes to time to determine whether or not we should make any changes to the Buggery Act, or to any other act that determines how Jamaicans see the family, you know that we are not going to take it up onto ourselves in Parliament to make that decision. We are going to come to you, the people of the country, to make that decision.”

(Tipped by JMG reader Luis)