Civics refers to the rights and duties of citizens. A citizen is a member of a country or nation who has certain rights like the right to life, assembly, and a fair trial, as well as responsibilities like obeying laws and paying taxes. Jamaica has a constitutional monarchy system of government with executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The executive is headed by the Prime Minister, the legislature includes a Senate and House of Representatives, and the judiciary interprets and enforces laws through a court system culminating in the Privy Council.

1. Civics
A crash course

2. What is Civics?
This is the rights and duties of a citizen

3. Rights and responsibilities of a citizen
Who is a citizen?
A citizen is member in a country state or nation
Every citizen is given or has rights

4. What are rights?
A moral or legal entitlement to have or do
something.

5. Rights of a citizen (cont’d)
Some of these rights are:
● Protect of right to life
● Respect for private & family life
● Protection of peaceful assembly
● Right to a fair trial
● Right to vote

6. Responsibilities of a citizen
There are certain things a citizen is required to do
by law which are called responsibilities
Citizen are responsible for:
● Obeying the laws of the land
● Paying of tax

7. System of Government in Jamaica
Under the constitution of Jamaica, Jamaica is a
constitutional monarchy with a parlimentary
system of government.

8. Definition of terms
What is a constitution?
This is a written or unwritten document that shows all the
basic laws of nation or group.
These laws maybe the duties of government and the
duties, rights and responsibilities of the citizen.

9. Definition of terms
What is a constitutional monarchy?
This is a system of government where the monarch shares
power with a government that is constitutionally formed.
E.g. The Queen of England is Head of State of Jamaica
through the Governor General.

10. What is parliament?
What is parliament?
This is a meet or assembly of people who makes the laws

11. Arms of Government
There are 3 arms of government. These are formed from
the Westminster system in Engalnd. They are:
● The Executive
● The legislature
● The Judiciary
Each has different functions though they all act as one
whole system.

12. Arms of Government
The Executive (The Cabinet)
The Prime Minister is the head of the executive.
He becomes the Prime Minister when the winning party in
an election is sworn in by the Governor General.
The Prime Minister would then appoint other persons
called ministers to be sworn in as well

13. The Legislature
Under the jamaican Constitution the legislature is empowered
to amended old laws or enact (put in place) new ones.
The Legislature is bicameral,this means that there are two
groups:
● Senate (Upper House)
● House of Representatives (Lower House)

14. Senate (Upper House)
These persons are nominated by the Governor General
based on the advice of the Pime Minister and the leader of
the Opposition party.
The Prime minister names his 13 and the Opposition leade
names his 8

15. The House of Represenatatives (Lower
House)These are person who have successfully contested seats
in an election and were elected to represent one of the 63
constituencies.
These members are called members of Parliament.

16. The Judiciary
This is the third arm of government. The purpose is to
interpret, apply and enforce the laws of Jamaica.
The court system includes:
● The Privy Council
● The Caribbean Court of Justice
● The Court of Appeal
● The Supreme Court
● The Resident Magistrates Court

17. The Privy Council
The Judicial Committe of the Privy Council sits in London.
It is the final court of appeal for Jamaica having gone
through the Supeme Court and the Court of Appeal.

18. The Caribbean Court of Justice
This is the primary institution of the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM)

19. The Court of Appeal
A person dissatisfied with a decision of one of the other
courts, except petty session can Appeal to this court.

20. The Supreme Court
This court is responsible for heaing serious civil and
criminal matters.

21. The Resident Magistrate Court
These deal with less serious civil and ciminal matters