PNP leader vows fresh parliamentary bid after two blocked attempts, citing colonial-era law that bars thousands of Jamaicans from land security.
PNP President Mark Golding has signalled his determination to revive a stalled legislative effort aimed at transforming how Jamaicans can claim ownership of Crown lands. According to the Jamaica Observer, Golding announced the fresh push during the party’s 88th Annual Conference in Savanna-la-Mar on Sunday, pledging to table the bill as soon as Parliament reconvenes following its summer recess.
The proposed Crown Lands Reform Act 2026 seeks to reduce the adverse possession qualifying period from the current 60 years to 25 years—a threshold Golding argues is rooted in colonial oppression. He pointed out that the 60-year rule was legislated in the 1830s, around the time of emancipation, when life expectancy in Jamaica fell short of that duration. “The formerly enslaved people of Jamaica were not given any land at emancipation, and that 60-year rule was plainly intended to ensure that the people did not acquire ownership of land by possession when they left those plantations,” Golding explained.
The disparity in the law is stark: individuals occupying private property need only 12 years to establish an adverse possession claim, while those on Government land face a 60-year wait. Golding has already attempted to introduce the bill twice in July, but according to the Jamaica Observer, the Speaker of the House blocked both efforts before the summer recess.
Beyond the core change to the qualifying period, Golding’s proposal includes a mechanism to declare disaster-affected areas as Disaster Adjudication Areas, enabling faster settlement of land claims and title issuance. This provision was prompted by experiences such as Hurricane Melissa’s impact last October.
Golding first campaigned on this reform during the lead-up to the September 2025 General Election, framing it as emancipatory legislation that could benefit tens of thousands—possibly hundreds of thousands—of Jamaicans currently without security of tenure. The lack of formal land ownership, he has argued, prevents people from leveraging their property investments for education, business, or emergency needs.
Jamaica’s adverse possession law allows individuals to claim ownership of land through unauthorised, continuous, and open occupation for a specified period. The current 60-year threshold for Crown lands dates to the 1830s and stands in sharp contrast to the 12-year requirement for private property claims.
Land security and property rights remain foundational issues across the Caribbean, where colonial-era laws continue to affect housing stability and economic mobility. Jamaica’s proposed reform speaks to a broader regional challenge of ensuring that descendants of enslaved people and other marginalised communities can build generational wealth through property ownership.
Written & Edited by Orlyn Edwards. Published by Caribbean Air Force Media.
Category: News · Island routing: Jamaica