Jamaica’s Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal filed by Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness in his ongoing legal battle with the Integrity Commission (IC), clearing the way for the substantive judicial review of the Commission’s investigation into his financial affairs to resume in the Supreme Court.
The appeal challenged a 2025 Supreme Court ruling that refused Holness’ application to strike out portions of an affidavit submitted by Craig Beresford, then the Integrity Commission’s Director of Information and Complaints. Holness and the associated claimants argued that sections of the affidavit were irrelevant, prejudicial and should not form part of the court proceedings.
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In a judgment delivered by Justice Paulette Williams, the three-member Court of Appeal upheld the earlier ruling of Supreme Court Justice Althea Jarrett, finding that the disputed portions of the affidavit were relevant to the issues before the court and did not constitute scandalous, frivolous or vexatious material. The appellate court also affirmed all of Justice Jarrett’s case management orders.
The court further lifted the stay of proceedings that had been imposed while the appeal was pending. As a result, the judicial review challenging the Integrity Commission’s investigation into Holness’ statutory declarations and financial affairs can now proceed before the Supreme Court.
The broader lawsuit, filed by Holness along with Imperium Holdings Limited, Positive Media Solutions Limitedand Positive Jamaica Foundation, challenges the legality and fairness of the Integrity Commission’s investigation into allegations that the Prime Minister may have owned assets disproportionate to his lawful income and made omissions in his statutory declarations. Holness has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
While the appeal was unsuccessful, Holness’ legal team maintained that the ruling does not weaken the overall case. In a statement issued after the decision, the attorneys said they had already secured the disclosure of numerous documents from the Integrity Commission and remain confident in advancing the substantive judicial review.
The Court of Appeal also ordered Holness and the other appellants to pay the legal costs of the Integrity Commission and its senior officials.
The case remains one of Jamaica’s most closely watched legal and political matters, as it examines the Integrity Commission’s handling of its investigation into the Prime Minister’s financial disclosures. The forthcoming judicial review will determine whether the Commission acted lawfully and fairly in conducting the investigation and preparing its reports.
