The Order of Jamaica is the fifth of the six orders in the
Jamaican honours system
The Jamaican honours system has developed as a unique entity since the passage of the ''National Honours and Awards Act'' by the Parliament of Jamaica in 1969 (Act No. 21 of 1969). The system is modelled largely on the British honours system, which ...
. The Order was established in 1969, and it is considered the equivalent of a knighthood in the
British honours system
In the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories, personal bravery, achievement, or service are rewarded with honours. The honours system consists of three types of award:
*Honours are used to recognise merit in terms of achievement a ...
.
Membership in the Order can be conferred upon any Jamaican citizen of outstanding distinction. Honorary membership in the Order can be conferred upon any distinguished citizen of a country other than Jamaica.
Members and Honorary Members are entitled to:"National Awards of Jamaica" , Jamaica Information Service, accessed May 12, 2015.
* wear the insignia of the Order as a decoration,
* be styled "
The Honourable
''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' ( American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...
",
* use the post-nominal letters "OJ" (for Members) or "OJ (Hon.)" (for Honorary Members).
The motto of the Order is "For a covenant of the people".
See also
*
List of recipients of the Order of Jamaica
This list includes the names of people who have received the Order of Jamaica, sorted alphabetically by last name, along with the year in which they were honoured.Order of Jamaica Office of the Prime Minister.