Governor-General of Jamaica : Ask Biography

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The Governor-General of Jamaica represents the Jamaican monarch, and head of state, who holds the title of King or Queen of Jamaica (as of 1962, Queen Elizabeth II).

The Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoints a Governor-General to be her representative in Jamaica. Neither the Queen nor the Governor-General has any real authority in conducting the administration of the country (however, both possess reserve powers under the constitution which would allow them full control of the nation's governance whenever in their opinion a case of emergency requiring such action arises). Real legislative and executive responsibilities rest with the elected representatives of the people.

The Governor-General represents the Queen on ceremonial occasions such as the opening of Parliament, the presentation of honours and military parades. Under the Constitution, he is given authority to act in some matters, for example in appointing and disciplining officers of the civil service, in proroguing Parliament and so on, but only in a few cases is he empowered to act entirely on his own discretion.