September 10, 2026

Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith welcomes visa application fee waiver for Privy Council appeals

Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith has welcomed the visa application fee waiver for Jamaican appellants appearing before the United Kingdom Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Jamaican appellants whose matters come before the Privy Council, as well as counsel appearing on their behalf  will now benefit from a new arrangement for Commonwealth countries under which visa application fees for travel to the UK in connection with proceedings before the court are waived.

Senator Johnson Smith described the measure as a practical step in facilitating access to justice for Jamaicans whose matters reach the Privy Council.

Usually, if an appellant or counsel intends to attend a hearing in person, travel to London would require a UK visa.

The visa cost associated with doing so has been a practical consideration for members of Jamaica’s legal profession and their clients for more than two decades.

Mrs. Johnson Smith said the matter has formed part of discussions over several years with British authorities during visits to the UK as well as official visits paid here, when the practical implications of the visa requirement for Jamaican counsel and litigants before the Privy Council were among the issues she raised.

The Minister said the new development would clearly be felt directly by members Jamaica’s legal and justice fraternities, who have largely recognized or absorbed the cost of visa fees as a routine part of representing clients before the Privy Council.