Jamaican holding a Jamaican flag in Jamaica

Jamaica continues to make strides towards a referendum on a republic, which they hope to achieve by 2025. In a recent online event Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Marlene Malahoo Forte said:

“Let me state unequivocally that this is a decision by Jamaica as a result of our own internal reflections and a belief that in order to reflect what it means to be Jamaican and in order to achieve our self-determination and realise our development goals, this is a change that needs to be made,”

Should Jamaicans vote in favour of the proposal, then Jamaica is likely to be the first Commonwealth member state to dump the British monarch as head of state. It’s clear that Jamaica is likely to follow Barbados’ example and transition their Governor-General to the role of head of state.