National Documentation Packages (NDPs) are lists of public documents that provide information on country conditions. Updates occur on a regular basis.
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Jurisprudential Guides Notes
Jurisprudential Guides Notes
On
July 28, 2022, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being a
Jurisprudential Guide:
-
Decision TC1 05038 – The proper interpretation of the ‘generalized risk’ exception to protection found at subparagraph 97(1)(b)(ii) of the Act, in claims for protection involving allegations of gang-targeting or other acts of criminality.
On
December 22, 2020, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being a
Jurisprudential Guide.
-
Decision MB8-00025 – This Jurisprudential Guide addresses, in applying Article 1E of the Refugee Convention, whether members should consider allegations of risk in a country of residence if they conclude that a refugee claimant has the rights and obligations which are attached to the possession of nationality in that country.
On
July 6, 2018, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being a
Jurisprudential Guide.
-
Decision TB7-19851 – Nigeria – This Jurisprudential Guide addresses internal flight alternatives in major cities in south and central Nigeria for claimants fleeing non-state actors.
Revoked
The country documentation referenced in each of these decisions has been included in s.16 of the updated National Documentation Packages published on July 10, 2018.
On
July 20, 2017, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being
Jurisprudential Guides.
-
Decision TB7-01837 – Pakistan – Whether the treatment experienced by Ahmadis in Pakistan amounts to persecution, whether state protection is available and whether there is a viable internal flight alternative.
-
Decision MB6-01059/60 – India – Availability of an internal flight alternative in India for claimants from Punjab.
Revoked
-
Decision TB6-11632 – China – Analysis of the efficacy of the Chinese national computer network known as the Golden Shield Project and its impact on whether a person wanted by the authorities can exit China via an airport using a genuine passport.
Revoked
The country documentation referenced in each of these decisions has been included in s.16 of the updated National Documentation Packages published on July 20, 2017.
Back
30 April 2019
JAMAICA
List of Documents
1.
General Information and Maps
Title:
Jamaica. General Logistics Planning Map.
Source:
World Food Programme. Logistics Cluster.
Date of Document:
4 October 2016
Accessed Date:
11 January 2017
Title:
Jamaïque. L'Encyclopédie en ligne.
Accessed Date:
7 November 2012
Title:
Jamaica. The World Factbook.
Source:
United States. Central Intelligence Agency.
Date of Document:
3 April 2019
Accessed Date:
23 April 2019
Title:
Country Policy and Information Note. Jamaica: Women fearing domestic violence. Version 2.0.
Source:
United Kingdom. Home Office.
Date of Document:
January 2017
Accessed Date:
27 February 2017
Title:
Country Policy and Information Note. Jamaica: Fear of organised criminal gangs. Version 2.0.
Source:
United Kingdom. Home Office.
Date of Document:
March 2017
Accessed Date:
6 February 2018
Title:
Country Policy and Information Note. Jamaica: Sexual orientation and gender identity. Version 2.0.
Source:
United Kingdom. Home Office.
Date of Document:
February 2017
Accessed Date:
27 February 2017
Title:
Jamaica. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2018.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
13 March 2019
Accessed Date:
20 March 2019
Title:
Jamaica. Amnesty International Report 2017/2018: The State of the World's Human Rights.
Source:
Amnesty International
Date of Document:
22 February 2018
Accessed Date:
26 February 2018
Title:
Jamaica. Freedom in the World 2018.
Accessed Date:
8 April 2019
Title:
National Report Submitted in Accordance with Paragraph 5 of the Annex to Human Rights Council Resolution 16/21: Jamaica
Code:
A/HRW/WG.6/22/JAM/1
Date of Document:
27 April 2015
Accessed Date:
24 February 2017
Keywords:
children; crime; extralegal executions/killings; gangs; gender equality; legal system; legislation; organized crime; penal system; police/security forces; police/security forces complaints; political activities; sexual minorities; sexual violence; social services; statistics; torture; trafficking in persons
Title:
Concluding observations on the fourth periodic report of Jamaica
Source:
United Nations. Human Rights Committee.
Date of Document:
22 November 2016
Accessed Date:
11 January 2017
Title:
Services available to individuals with mental illness, including persons with bipolar disorder; recourse and complaints mechanisms available to patients receiving psychiatric care, particularly those treated at the psychiatric ward (Ward 21) of ...
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
29 March 2018
Accessed Date:
15 April 2019
3.
Identification Documents and Citizenship
Title:
The Jamaican Nationality Act
Accessed Date:
15 January 2013
Keywords:
children; citizenship; identity documents; nationality
Title:
Chapter II. Citizenship. Jamaica 1962 (rev. 2015).
Accessed Date:
7 February 2018
Title:
Jamaica. U.S. Visa: Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Accessed Date:
8 April 2019
Title:
Requirements and procedures for obtaining medical reports within Jamaica as well as from abroad; whether medical reports can be obtained through a proxy; if so, requirements and procedures; whether there is a national standard format for medical...
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
20 December 2011
Accessed Date:
7 November 2012
Keywords:
medical records
4.
Political Activities and Organizations
Title:
Jamaica. Election for Jamaican House of Representatives of 25 February 2016.
Source:
International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Election Guide.
Accessed Date:
26 February 2016
Keywords:
election; political activities
Title:
I. Political Transformation. Transformation Index 2018 Country Report: Jamaica.
Source:
Bertelsmann Stiftung
Accessed Date:
8 April 2019
5.
Gender, Domestic Violence and Children
Title:
Jamaica. Social Institutions and Gender Index 2019.
Source:
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Date of Document:
7 December 2018
Accessed Date:
8 April 2019
Title:
Domestic violence, including legislation, state protection and support services available (2010-2013)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
20 January 2014
Accessed Date:
29 January 2014
Keywords:
domestic violence; sexual violence; social services
Title:
The Sexual Offences Act, 2009
Accessed Date:
7 November 2012
Keywords:
legislation; sexual violence
Title:
The Domestic Violence Act
Accessed Date:
7 November 2012
Keywords:
domestic violence; legislation
Title:
Jamaica. Caribbean Gender Based Violence Laws.
Source:
United Nations. UN Women.
Accessed Date:
20 February 2015
Keywords:
children; domestic violence; gender-based violence; institutional efficacy; legal system; legislation; sexual violence
Title:
National Review Jamaica. In the context of the twentieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action Division for Gender Affairs of Economic Commission for Latin America and...
Date of Document:
June 2014
Accessed Date:
20 February 2015
Keywords:
children; crime; domestic violence; gender equality; gender-based violence; institutional efficacy; labour; legislation; political activities; sexual violence; social services; statistics
Title:
Child Care and Protection Act
Accessed Date:
11 January 2017
Title:
Treatment of sexual minorities, including legislation, state protection and support services (2013-December 2015)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
12 February 2016
Accessed Date:
26 February 2016
Keywords:
labour; legal system; legislation; police/security forces; sexual minorities; social services
Title:
Annual Country Status Update - 2018
Date of Document:
13 July 2018
Accessed Date:
8 April 2019
Title:
Report on Human Rights Violations Perpetrated Against LGBT Jamaicans (2011-2017)
Accessed Date:
8 April 2019
Title:
Constitutional challenge to Jamaica's anti-sodomy law: Questions & Answers
Source:
Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network; AIDS-Free World
Date of Document:
December 2015
Accessed Date:
11 January 2017
Title:
Jamaica. State-Sponsored Homophobia 2019: A world survey of sexual orientation laws
Source:
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
Date of Document:
March 2019
Author:
Lucas Ramón Mendos
Accessed Date:
23 April 2019
7.
Criminality and Corruption
Title:
Jamaica. International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2019, Volume I: Drug and Chemical Control.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
March 2019
Accessed Date:
26 April 2019
Title:
Jamaica: Tier 2. Trafficking in Persons Report 2018.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
June 2018
Accessed Date:
8 April 2019
Title:
Jamaica Constabulary Force Periodic Crime Statistics Review.
Source:
The Jamaica Constabulary Force
Date of Document:
16 July 2017
Accessed Date:
8 April 2019
Title:
Jamaica. 2018 Crime and Safety Report.
Source:
United States. Overseas Security Advisory Council.
Date of Document:
26 January 2018
Accessed Date:
8 April 2019
Title:
Jamaica – Gun Facts, Figures and the Law
Accessed Date:
8 April 2019
Title:
The One Order gang, including activities and state response (2013 - May 2016)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
27 April 2016
Accessed Date:
14 February 2017
Title:
Why Jamaica's Homicide Rate is Up 20%
Date of Document:
20 June 2017
Accessed Date:
7 February 2018
Title:
Black, Green, Gold and Too Much Red: Jamaica's Struggle with Gang Violence
Source:
Council on Hemispheric Affairs
Date of Document:
5 October 2016
Accessed Date:
11 January 2017
Title:
Crime and Violence in Jamaica: IDB Series on Crime and Violence in the Caribbean
Source:
Inter-American Development Bank
Date of Document:
June 2016
Author:
Anthony D. Harriott; Marlyn Jones
Accessed Date:
11 January 2017
8.
Military Service - (No items in this section)
9.
Judiciary, Legal and Penal Systems
Title:
Update: The Jamaican Legal System and Guide to Legal Research
Date of Document:
June 2014
Author:
Jeanne Slowe; Claudette Solomon
Accessed Date:
24 February 2017
10.
Police and Security Forces
Title:
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), including effectiveness and government efforts to strengthen the force (2011-2015)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
9 February 2015
Accessed Date:
4 February 2016
Keywords:
corruption; crime; extralegal executions/killings; gangs; judicial efficacy; legal system; police corruption; police efficacy; police/security forces; statistics
Title:
Requirements and procedures to lodge a complaint against a police officer; requirements and procedures to obtain a police report; alternative mechanisms available for lodging a complaint against a police officer; effectiveness of complaint...
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
11 February 2015
Accessed Date:
26 February 2015
Keywords:
arbitrary arrest and detention; conflict; corruption; government corruption; institutional efficacy; legal system; legislation; penal system; police corruption; police efficacy; police report; police/security forces; police/security forces complaints
Title:
Waiting In Vain - Jamaica: Unlawful Police Killings and Relatives' Long Struggle for Justice
Source:
Amnesty International
Date of Document:
23 November 2016
Accessed Date:
11 January 2017
Title:
Jamaica. Freedom of the Press 2015.
Accessed Date:
4 February 2016
Keywords:
freedom of expression; freedom of the press; legislation; police/security forces; political activities
Title:
Jamaica. Critics Are Not Criminals: Comparative Study of Criminal Defamation Laws in the Americas.
Source:
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP et al.
Date of Document:
March 2016
Accessed Date:
7 February 2018
Title:
Jamaica. International Religious Freedom Report for 2017.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
29 May 2018
Accessed Date:
8 April 2019
13.
Nationality, Ethnicity and Race - (No items in this section)
14.
Exit/Entry and Freedom of Movement
Title:
Country Information and Guidance. Jamaica: Background information, including actors of protection and internal relocation. Version 2.0.
Source:
United Kingdom. Home Office.
Date of Document:
March 2018
Accessed Date:
8 April 2019
15.
Labour, Employment and Unions - (No items in this section)
16.
Other - (No items in this section)
The following changes have been made to the previous package dated 29 March 2019:
Title:
Jamaica. The World Factbook.
Source:
United States. Central Intelligence Agency.
Date of Document:
23 January 2018
URL:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/jm.html
Accessed Date:
6 February 2018
Title:
Country Information and Guidance. Jamaica: Background information, including actors of protection and internal relocation. Version 1.0.
Source:
United Kingdom. Home Office.
Date of Document:
May 2016
URL:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/565865/CIG-Jamaica-Background-v-1-May-2016.pdf
Accessed Date:
11 January 2017
Title:
Jamaica. Freedom in the World 2017.
URL:
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2017/jamaica
Accessed Date:
7 February 2018
Title:
Jamaica Reciprocity Schedule
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
15 September 2017
URL:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Jamaica.html
Accessed Date:
7 February 2018
Title:
I. Political Transformation. Bertelsmann Stiftung, BTI 2016 — Jamaica Country Report.
Source:
Gütersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung
URL:
http://www.bti-project.org/fileadmin/files/BTI/Downloads/Reports/2016/pdf/BTI_2016_Jamaica.pdf
Accessed Date:
25 February 2016
Keywords:
children; corruption; crime; domestic violence; election; freedom of assembly; freedom of expression; gender-based violence; Internet; labour; legislation; police/security forces; political organizations; religion; sexual minorities; sexual violence; statistics
Title:
Jamaica. Social Institutions and Gender Index 2014.
Source:
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
URL:
http://www.genderindex.org/country/jamaica
Accessed Date:
28 November 2014
Keywords:
children; domestic violence; family law; female genital mutilation; gender equality; gender-based violence; labour; legal system; marriage; police/security forces; political activities; sexual minorities; sexual violence; statistics
Title:
Jamaica. State-Sponsored Homophobia 2017: A world survey of sexual orientation laws: criminalisation, protection and recognition.
Source:
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
Date of Document:
May 2017
Author:
Aengus Carroll; Lucas Ramón Mendos
URL:
http://ilga.org/downloads/2017/ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2017_WEB.pdf
Accessed Date:
7 February 2018
Title:
Jamaica. International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2017, Volume I: Drug and Chemical Control.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
March 2017
URL:
https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/268025.pdf
Accessed Date:
7 February 2018
Title:
Jamaica (Tier 2). Trafficking in Persons Report 2017.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
June 2017
URL:
https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2017/271212.htm
Accessed Date:
7 February 2018
Title:
Jamaica. 2018 Crime and Safety Report.
Source:
United States. Overseas Security Advisory Council.
Date of Document:
26 January 2018
URL:
https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=23208
Accessed Date:
27 February 2018
Title:
Jamaica – Gun Facts, Figures and the Law
URL:
http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/jamaica
Accessed Date:
11 January 2017
Title:
Jamaica. International Religious Freedom Report for 2016.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
15 August 2017
URL:
http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm?year=2016&dlid=268992
Accessed Date:
7 February 2018
Title:
Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Jamaica
Source:
Organization of American States. Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Date of Document:
10 August 2012
URL:
https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/docs/pdf/Jamaica2012eng.pdf
Accessed Date:
16 January 2014
Keywords:
arbitrary arrest and detention; children; corruption; crime; disappeared persons; ethnic and national groups; extralegal executions/killings; family law; freedom of expression; freedom of the press; gangs; gender equality; gender-based violence; indigenous groups; judicial corruption; legal system; legislation; minorities; organized crime; penal system; police/security forces; police/security forces complaints; race; sexual minorities; sexual violence; social services; statistics; torture; warrants; witness protection
Title:
Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Jamaica. Chapter V: Follow-up of Recommendations Issued by the IACHR in its Country or Thematic Reports. Annual Report 2014.
Source:
Organization of American States. Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
URL:
http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/docs/annual/2014/docs-en/Annual2014-chap5-Jamaica.pdf
Accessed Date:
3 February 2016
Keywords:
children; corruption; crime; domestic violence; extralegal executions/killings; freedom of expression; freedom of the press; gangs; gender equality; gender-based violence; human rights activists; legal system; legislation; penal system; police corruption; police efficacy; police/security forces; sexual minorities; sexual violence; social services; statistics; torture
Title:
Statistics on the total number of reports received by the OCR by type, sex, month and year, 2007 to 2015
Source:
Jamaica. Office of the Children's Registry.
URL:
http://www.ocr.gov.jm/index.php/statistics
Accessed Date:
19 February 2018
Title:
Jamaica. Speaking out 2015: The Rights of LGBTI citizens across the Commonwealth.
Source:
Kaleidoscope Trust
Date of Document:
20 November 2015
URL:
http://kaleidoscopetrust.com/usr/library/documents/main/2015_speakingout_241115_web.pdf
Accessed Date:
3 February 2016
Keywords:
crime; legal system; legislation; sexual minorities; sexual violence; social services
Title:
Not Safe at Home: Violence and Discrimination against LGBT People in Jamaica
Source:
Human Rights Watch
Date of Document:
21 October 2014
URL:
https://www.hrw.org/report/2014/10/21/not-safe-home/violence-and-discrimination-against-lgbt-people-jamaica
Accessed Date:
13 November 2014
Keywords:
arbitrary arrest and detention; children; crime; extralegal executions/killings; freedom of expression; freedom of the press; human rights activists; institutional efficacy; judicial corruption; judicial efficacy; legislation; police corruption; police efficacy; police/security forces; political activities; political opposition; political organizations; religion; sexual minorities; sexual violence; social services
Title:
Criminalisation of Homosexuality: Jamaica
Source:
Human Dignity Trust
Date of Document:
25 October 2015
URL:
http://www.humandignitytrust.org/uploaded/Map/Country_Reports/Jamaica.pdf
Accessed Date:
11 January 2017
Title:
Engaging Communities. Transforming Lives. 2014 Annual Report.
URL:
http://jflag.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Annual-Report-JFLAG.pdf
Accessed Date:
3 February 2016
Keywords:
crime; gender equality; legal system; legislation; sexual minorities; sexual violence; statistics
Title:
Human Rights Violations Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) People in Jamaica: A Shadow Report
Date of Document:
September 2016
URL:
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/JAM/INT_CCPR_CSS_JAM_25269_E.pdf
Accessed Date:
24 February 2017
Title:
“The World as it Should Be”: Advancing the Human Rights of LGBT People in Jamaica.
Source:
Human Rights First
Date of Document:
July 2015
URL:
http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/sites/default/files/HRF-Jamaica-Report-final.pdf
Accessed Date:
3 February 2016
Keywords:
extralegal executions/killings; gender-based violence; human rights activists; judicial efficacy; legal system; legislation; police/security forces; political activities; religion; sexual minorities; social services
Title:
Crime situation, including organized crime; police and state response, including effectiveness; state protection for witnesses and victims of crime (2009-December 2012)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
14 January 2013
URL:
http://irb-cisr.gc.ca/Eng/ResRec/RirRdi/Pages/index.aspx?doc=454342
Accessed Date:
31 January 2013
Keywords:
crime; drug trafficking; extralegal executions/killings; gangs; judicial efficacy; organized crime; police efficacy; witness protection
Title:
Jamaica Country Profile
Source:
International Security Sector Advisory Team
Date of Document:
2 February 2015
URL:
http://issat.dcaf.ch/Learn/Resource-Library/Country-Profiles/Jamaica-Country-Profile
Accessed Date:
11 January 2017
Title:
A New Approach: National Security Policy for Jamaica
URL:
http://www.japarliament.gov.jm/attachments/1286_2014%20Ministry%20Paper%2063.pdf
Accessed Date:
20 February 2015
Keywords:
abduction; armed groups; children; conflict; corruption; country overview; crime; document fraud; drug trafficking; extralegal executions/killings; extremist/terrorist organizations; gangs; government corruption; humanitarian situation; institutional efficacy; judicial corruption; judicial efficacy; labour; legal system; legislation; organized crime; penal system; police corruption; police efficacy; police/security forces; sexual violence; social services; statistics; torture; trafficking in persons; warrants; witness protection
Title:
Services available to individuals with mental illness, including persons with bipolar disorder; recourse and complaints mechanisms available to patients receiving psychiatric care, particularly those treated at the psychiatric ward (Ward 21) of ...
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
29 March 2018
URL:
https://irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/country-information/rir/Pages/index.aspx?doc=457439
Accessed Date:
15 April 2019
Title:
Annual Country Status Update - 2018
Date of Document:
13 July 2018
URL:
http://jflag.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Annual-Country-Status-Update.pdf
Accessed Date:
8 April 2019
Title:
Report on Human Rights Violations Perpetrated Against LGBT Jamaicans (2011-2017)
URL:
http://jflag.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Human-Rights-Violations-2.pdf
Accessed Date:
8 April 2019
Disclaimer
National Documentation Packages (NDPs) include country-of-origin information that is publicly accessible at the time of publication and available within time constraints. While the Research Directorate strives to maintain the
NDP with current information, the research is not exhaustive and country conditions can change rapidly. Members of the public are invited to
suggest documents they feel are relevant to the
NDP.
NDPs are not, and do not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Rather, they are intended to support the refugee determination process. The assessment and weight to be given to the information in the
NDPs are the responsibility of independent
IRB members (decision-makers) after considering the evidence and arguments presented by the parties.
All sources are fully cited, including a hyperlink, to facilitate the location of the information. The
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NDP. It cannot guarantee or be responsible for:
- the functionality of links to external sources,
- the content accessed by these links,
- the availability of external content in both English and French,
- any other part of a third party website.
The information presented in
NDPs solely reflects the views and perspectives of the sources cited and does not necessarily reflect the position of the
IRB or the Government of Canada.