Pearnel Charles (born 1936) is a

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

n politician with the

Jamaica Labour Party The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is one of the two major political parties in Jamaica, the other being the People's National Party (PNP). While its name might suggest that it is a social democratic party (as is the case for "Labour" parties in seve ...

who was the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Early life

Charles was born in 1936 in the parish of St. Ann. He attended Lime Tree Garden Elementary School, West Indies College and the City College of the University of New York where he was President of the West Indian Students' Association. He graduated from City College with a bachelor's degree in political science, after which he returned to Jamaica.

Career

Charles became vice-president of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union. In 1969, he was appointed as a Parish Councillor in the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation. From 1972 to 1980 he was a senator and an elected member of parliament representing Eastern St. Thomas. Charles was the deputy leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) from 1972 to 1991. In June 1976, after a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

was declared by the

People's National Party The People's National Party (PNP) is a Social democracy, social-democratic List of political parties in Jamaica, political party in Jamaica, founded in 1938 by independence campaigner Osmond Theodore Fairclough. It holds 14 of the 63 seats in ...

, Charles was detained by armed forces and brought to Kingston for questioning. In 2002, he successfully ran as a JLP candidate for North Central Clarendon. He served as the Minister of Labour and Social Security in Jamaica from 2007 to 2012. In March 2016, he was elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Personal life

His daughter

Patrece Charles-Freeman Patrece Charles-Freeman is a Jamaican public and environmental health consultant, as well as a political candidate with the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). Public health work Charles-Freeman lived in the United States while doing her bachelor's at the ...

is a public health consultant, and also ran as the JLP candidate in East St Thomas in the 2011 election. His son Pearnel Patroe Charles Jr. serves the people of Jamaica as a Senator and the Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles, Pearnel Living people Government ministers of Jamaica Members of the House of Representatives of Jamaica Jamaica Labour Party politicians Speakers of the House of Representatives of Jamaica 1936 births