House_of_Representatives_of_Jamaica
Parliament of Jamaica
Legislative branch of the Jamaican government
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (January 2016) |
The Parliament of Jamaica (Jamaican Patois: Paaliment a Jumieka) is the legislative branch of the government of Jamaica. 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.