State party's objections to the admissibility decision and the Committee's
requests for further clarifications
6.1 By two submissions of 25 May 1989 and 22 February 1990, the State party
rejects the Committee's findings of &dmissibility and challenges the reasoning
described in paragraph 5.1 above. In particular, it submits that the fact
that the power of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council to grant special
leave to appeal pursuant to section 110, paragraph 3, of the Constitution, is
discretionary, does not relieve Mr. Collins from his obligation to pursue this
remedy. It contends that:
"[a] remedy is no less a remedy because there is, inherent in structure,
a preliminary stage which must be undergone before the remedy itself
becomes properly applicable. In the instant case, an application to the
Privy Council for special leave [to appeal] from decisions of the Court
o£ Appeal is considered in a judicial hearing and a determination thereon
is made on grounds which are wholly judicial and reasonable. The Privy
Council refuses to grant leave to appeal if it considers that there is no
merit in the appeal. Therefore, where special leave was refused, the
applicant cannot say [that] he has no remedy ...".
6.2 The State party criticizes the Committee's interpretation of article 5,
paragraph 2 (b), of the Optional Protocol, according to which a domestic
remedy must be both available and effective as "a gloss on the relevant
provisions of the Optional Protocol": in the instant case, the effectiveness
of the remedy must in any event be demonstrated by the power of the Judicial
Committee to entertain an Bppeal.
6.3 The State party affirms that, even if the Judicial Committee were to
dismiss the author's petition for special leave to appeal, the communication
would remain inadmissible on the ground of non-exhaustion of domestic
remedies, since Mr. Collins would retain the right to apply for constitutional
redress in the Supreme (Constitutional) Court, alleging a violation of his
right to a fair trial, protected by section 20 of the Constitution,
6.4 Considering that further information about the constitutional remedy
which the State party claims remains open to Mr. Collins would assist it in
the consideration of the communication, the Committee adopted an interlocutory
decision during its thirty-seventh session, on 2 November 1969. In it, the
State party was requested to clarify whether the Supreme (Constitutional)
Court had bad the opportunity to determine, pursuant to section 25,
paragraph 2, of the Jamaican Constitution, whether an appeal to the Court of
Appeal and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council constituted "adequate
means of redress" for individuals who claim that their right to a fair trial,
as guaranteed by section 20, paragraph 1, of the Constitution, had been
violated. Shouia the answer be in the affirmative, the State party was asked
to also clarify whether the Supreme (Constitutional) Court had declined to
exercise its powers under section 25, paragraph 2, in respect of such
applications, on the ground that adequate means of redress were already
provided for in law. By submission of 22 February 1990, the State party
replied that the Supreme (Constitutional) Court had not had the opportunity to
consider the issue. It reiterated its request of 25 May 1989 that the
decision on admissibility be revised, citing rule 93, paragraph 4, of the
Committee's rules of procedure.
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