On May 3, 2025, the Jamaican Parliament triumphantly passed a long-anticipated Green Paper outlining the job description and code of conduct for Members of Parliament (MPs). This milestone was positioned as a move toward greater accountability, but beneath the surface of this fanfare moment lurks a sinister truth: it formalises confusion, obfuscation, and law-breaking rather than resolving it.
Our MPs are not only legislating, but across the country they are paying school fees, patching roads, contributing towards funeral expenses, distributing school items and groceries (care packages), providing capital and other inputs to constituents. Some even handpick constituents for overseas work programmes. This might sound innocuously generous, but it’s neither sustainable nor constitutional. These ultra-constitutional moonlighting activities are also why some MPs justified a 250–300% salary increase in 2023 — they’re engaged in, and being paid for, activities that either go against the spirit or the letter of their constitutional “job description”.
These ultra-constitutional moonlighting activities are also why some MPs justified a 250–300% salary increase in 2023 — they’re engaged in, and being paid for, activities that either go against the spirit or the letter of their constitutional “job description”.
Integrity isn’t optional — it’s foundational. As a West African (Sierra Leonean) proverb wisely puts it, “A twisted hand cannot grip well.” Just as a hand must be sound to hold securely, MPs must be honest and trustworthy to maintain, to “grip well”, public confidence. Empirical research supports this: studies in governance and change management show that integrity and ethical leadership are essential for rebuilding trust during reform processes and ensuring long-term legitimacy (Karri, 2005; Mayer, Davis & Schoorman, 1995).
What are MPs really supposed to do?
According to Section 48(1) of the Jamaican Constitution, an MP’s primary function is to “make laws for the peace, order and good government of Jamaica.” They are elected to represent national interests, debate legislation, pass laws, and hold the executive to account.
However, over time, Jamaica’s MPs have become default service providers. Instead of focusing on laws, budgets, or policies, many MPs spend their time organising Christmas work programmes or funding community events out of pocket. While well-intentioned, these actions distort expectations and confuse voters about what an MP’s role really is.
When Representation Becomes a Handout
In many constituencies, political success is tied to how much an MP gives — not what they pass in Parliament. MPs function as de facto mayors — or at the very least, are quasi-competitors for government resources earmarked for local areas. Constituents contact them about garbage collection, broken streetlights, road repairs, or employment opportunities — duties that clearly fall under local government, not Parliament.
Here’s a short list of the extra duties many MPs unofficially take on:
- Paying funeral expenses and school fees
- Recommending workers for the U.S. and Canadian Farm Work Programmes
- Providing groceries and appliances to families
- Funding street repairs or clean-up campaigns
While these practices may win votes, they fall outside the scope of MP duties and blur the lines between representative and resource dispenser. Worse, they open the door to favouritism and unregulated spending — public resources quietly shifted based on loyalty rather than need – and the insidious growth of the seeds of corruption.
Legal Boundaries: The Case for Reform
Public office in Jamaica is bound by constitutional and legal constraints. MPs are not part of the executive, nor are they local administrators. Their role is national and legislative. Jamaican courts and Commonwealth legal precedent affirm this principle:
- In Independent Jamaica Council for Human Rights v. Marshall-Burnett (1998), the Privy Council reaffirmed the importance of separation of powers.
- The Attorney General v. Joseph (2006) ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) held that executive actions must remain within legal boundaries.
- In Margeston v. AG (1968) and J. Astaphan & Co. v. Comptroller of Customs (1993), regional courts struck down actions by public officials who overstepped their statutory authority.
These cases confirm what many in governance already know but rarely say: when MPs take on duties outside their legislative scope, those actions are ultra vires — beyond their legal power — and potentially invalid.
When MPs take on duties outside their legislative scope, those actions are ultra vires — beyond their legal power — and potentially invalid.
Codifying Confusion: The Risk in the Green Paper
Rather than clarifying these roles, the 2025 Green Paper threatens to codify confusion. Several proposed deliverables in the document — like overseeing local infrastructure projects or directly coordinating community programmes — assign MPs administrative tasks. These belong to local government authorities, not lawmakers.
A proper job description should reinforce an MP’s constitutional role, not broaden it to include responsibilities that encourage inefficiency, political patronage, and misaligned incentives. When MPs are rewarded for things they were never legally meant to do, both Parliament and the public lose.
Restoring Integrity: Where We Go from Here
We must begin with a reset — one that restores integrity to the parliamentary role. That means:
- Publicly defining MPs’ duties around law-making, policy debate, and national representation
- Eliminating informal expectations for handouts and direct service delivery
- Shifting local development responsibilities back to municipal corporations and ministries
- Measuring MPs not by their generosity, but by their legislative attendance, policy impact, and public engagement
It’s time to stop rewarding MPs for work they were never supposed to do. That’s not reform — it’s misdirection.
It’s time to stop rewarding MPs for work they were never supposed to do. That’s not reform — it’s misdirection.
Closing Thought
This first step in the reform journey — the letter “R” in a three-part civic reset — stands for Restore Integrity. It’s about making the MP role honest, legal, and focused. In Part 2, we’ll explore how we can Empower Local Government, the branch of the state that should rightfully be managing the services MPs are currently juggling.
We have the laws. We have the structure. What we need now is the political will — and public understanding — to match them with reality.
References
Karri, R. (2005). Cognitive Moral Development and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Study of Organizational Justice and Integrity. Journal of Business Ethics, 62(2), 137–152.
Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., & Schoorman, F. D. (1995). An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 709–734.
Okelo, S. J. (2022). A Twisted Hand Cannot Grip Well: Why Integrity Matters. African Father in America Podcast. https://africanfatherinamerica.podbean.com/e/a-twisted-hand-cannot-grip-well-why-integrity-matters-afiapodcast-african-proverbs/
John Wayne Warren is a trained accountant, auditor, and qualified teacher who is currently actively involved with the Jamaican diaspora and his alumni association.