Jamaica’s Administrative Structure
|International Country Code:||JM|
|Type of Government:||Parliamentary Democracy|
|Administrative Divisions:||14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, St. Andrew, St. Ann, St. Catherine, St. Elizabeth, St. James, St. Mary, St. Thomas, Trelawny, and Westmoreland.|
|Independence:||6 August 1962 (from UK)|
|Legal System:||Based on English Common Law.|
|Suffrage:||18 years of age; universal.|
|Executive Branch:||Head of State: QUEEN ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by a Governor-General.|
Head of Government: Prime Minister.
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister.
|Legislative Branch:||Bi-cameral Parliament|
|Senate: Consists of a 21-member body appointed by the Governor-General. 13 persons on the advice of the Prime Minister and 8 persons on the recommendation of the Leader of The Opposition.|
|House of Representatives: Consists of 63 elected officials from a General Election. (last held 25th February 2016)|
|Judicial Branch:||Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (Great Britain) Court of Appeal of Jamaica. The Supreme Court of Jamaica, Resident Magistrates Courts, Petty Sessions Courts.|