Parliament of Jamaica

Houses of Parliament

Ouses a Paaliment
15th Parliament of Jamaica
Coat of arms or logo
Coat of arms of Jamaica
Type
Type
HousesSenate
House of Representatives
Leadership
Charles III
since 8 September 2022
Patrick L. Allen
since 26 February 2009
Thomas Tavares-Finson, JLP
since 10 March 2016
Juliet Holness, JLP
since 26 September 2023
Structure
Seats84
21 Senators
63 Members of Parliament
Senate political groups
HM Government
  •   JLP (13)
Official Opposition
House of Representatives political groups
HM Government

Official Opposition

Elections
Appointed by the Governor-General of Jamaica on advice of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition
House of Representatives voting system
First-past-the-post
Last House of Representatives election
3 September 2025
Next House of Representatives election
3 September 2030
Meeting place
George William Gordon House, Kingston, Jamaica
Website
japarliament.gov.jm

17°58′26″N 76°47′26″W / 17.9740°N 76.7906°W / 17.9740; -76.7906

The Parliament of Jamaica (Jamaican Patois: Paaliment a Jumieka) is the legislative branch of the government of Jamaica. Officially, they are known as the Houses of Parliament. It consists of three elements: the Crown (represented by the Governor-General), the appointed Senate and the directly elected House of Representatives.

The Senate, the Upper House, is the direct successor of a pre-Independence body known as the "Legislative Council" and comprises 21 senators appointed by the Governor-General: thirteen on the advice of the Prime Minister and eight on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition.

The House of Representatives, the Lower House, is made up of 63 (previously 60) Members of Parliament, elected to five-year terms on a first-past-the-post basis in single-seat constituencies.

Overview

As Jamaica is a parliamentary democracy modelled after the Westminster system, most of the government's ability to make and pass laws is dependent on the Prime Minister's ability to command the confidence of the members of the House of Representatives. Though both Houses of Parliament hold political significance, the House of Representatives, of which the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition are both required to be members, holds a more powerful and prestigious role since it is the main source of legislation.

Parliament building

The Parliament meets at Gordon House at 81 Duke Street, Kingston. It was built in 1960 and named in memory of Jamaican patriot George William Gordon.

Construction on a new parliament building directly north of Gordon House was expected to start in early 2021. However, the start of construction was delayed. As of May 2024, the project was still in the procurement phase.

House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is the Lower House. It is the group of elected members of parliament.

Members

Senate

The Senate is the Upper House. The current members, who were sworn in at the opening of the 15th Parliament in September 2025, are:

Jamaica Labour Party:

People's National Party:

Amendments to the Constitution of Jamaica are subject to different requirements depending on the provision being amended. Some provisions may be amended by a majority of all members of both Houses, while entrenched provisions generally require the support of two-thirds of all members of each House. Amendments to specially entrenched provisions additionally require approval in a national referendum.

Last election

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Jamaica Labour Party413,81450.4835–14
People's National Party403,34949.2028+14
Jamaica Progressive Party2,1310.260New
United Independents' Congress of Jamaica1840.020New
Independents2710.0300
Total819,749100.00630
Source: Jamaica Observer

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Contact Us". Japarliament.gov.jm. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  2. ↑ "History". Japarliament.gov.jm. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  3. ↑ "Construction of New Parliament Building to Begin 2021". jis.gov.jm. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  4. ↑ Henry, Balford (19 March 2021). "Construction of new Parliament building set to start next year". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  5. ↑ "UDC to begin construction of new parliament building". The Star, Jamaica. 9 May 2024. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  6. ↑ "New Senators Eager to Contribute to Jamaica's Growth and Development". Jamaica Information Service. 20 September 2025. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  7. ↑ "21 Senators Sworn In". Jamaica Information Service. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  8. ↑ "The Jamaica Constitution in Brief". National Library of Jamaica. Retrieved 16 October 2026.