Photo caption: This file photo shows a joint session of parliament in session at Gordon House.

Jamaica stands at a defining constitutional moment. The legal battle between Prime Minister Holness and the Integrity Commission (IC) is not just a dispute over statutory declarations, corruption, investigative procedure, or political perception. It is now a test of how seriously democracy is taken in Jamaica.

Too often, democracy is viewed as elections alone. There’s voting every five years, governments change peacefully, and we are convinced that democracy is intact. While essential, elections are but one pillar of a functioning democracy. Democracy is measured not only by how governments are chosen, but by how power is exercised, restrained, and scrutinised after polls close.