The President of the Supreme Court scolds PSOJ for proposing emancipation

FALMOUTH, Trelawny – In an apparent response to the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) proposal to create a single, extended weekend holiday period to celebrate Emancipation and Independence, Chief Justice Bryan Sykes has emphasized that celebrating freedom is priceless.

“I’d like to think that there are some things in our nation’s history that you really can’t put a price on, and freedom and the celebration of freedom is one of them,” Sykes said.

In making its case for extending the weekend, PSOJ argued that “two major holidays in such close proximity often result in longer periods of reduced productivity because many workers and businesses tend to fill the gap between these dates with additional time off.”

“This phenomenon, sometimes referred to as a holiday hangover, has the potential to disrupt economic dynamics, particularly in key sectors such as manufacturing, tourism and agriculture,” PSOJ said.

However, Sykes emphasized that the significance of the freedom of African slaves on August 1, 1834, now celebrated annually as Emancipation Day on August 1, was prefigured by Independence Day on August 6, 1962, which is celebrated as Independence Day on August 6.

“So the journey to being here did not begin on August 6, 1962, but was accelerated. So without August 1 (1834), probably none of what we do here would be possible,” Sykes argued.

“It is not only about organized weekend celebrations that could attract tourists to participate in cultural events, concerts and festivals, thereby increasing revenues in various sectors. “I thought that the emancipation of enslaved people of African descent, which in our case was a precursor to independence, would require more analysis than describing it as just five days covering – I use that word – Jamaica’s journey from the abolition of slavery to the achievement of self-government,” he added.

Yesterday he was present at the historic Baptist Church. William Knibb, Falmouth, Trelawny, during the annual Michaelmas Assize service of Trelawny District Court.

PSOJ argued that the proposal to minimize the impact of public holidays on productivity by grouping holidays and encouraging the celebration of key cultural events on weekends was inspired by successful models in other countries, including Singapore.

But Sykes pointed out that Singapore is a different matter than Jamaica.

“It’s interesting to see what’s happening in Singapore. When you look at the history there, one of the interesting things you’ll find about the Emancipation Act is that section 64 of (its) statute clearly states that it does not apply to territories held by the East India Companies. And Singapore was one of the territories of the East India Company. And, this is not surprising, because they did not come to the colonial experience as we did, in completely different circumstances!” Sykes noted.

He added that for the people of Jamaica, the Emancipation Act was probably one of the first significant pieces of legislation that moved black Africans from property to property.

“Even then it was shortened because there was an apprenticeship period and section 24 made provision for slave masters,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Marlene Malahoo Forte, while conveying greetings, entrusted the legal community and others to participate in the nation’s journey towards a republican state.