T.H. Orette Bruce Golding

Former Prime Minister, Jamaica

Bio Current as of February 4, 2025

Orette Bruce Golding was born on December 5, 1947. He attended St. George’s College and Jamaica College before enrolling at the University of the West Indies where he secured a Bachelor of Science degree in economics in 1969. He entered politics at an early age, winning election to Jamaica’s parliament in 1972 at the age of 24. He held the position as a member of parliament or senator for a total of 35 years. He was the general secretary of the Jamaica Labour Party from 1974 to 1984 and chairman of the party from 1984 to 1995. He also served as minister of construction from 1980 to 1989 and in that capacity was elected chairman of the United Nation Commission on Human Settlements in 1983. He was a founding member of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica and was a member of an international team of experts deployed in South Africa to assist in preparing that country for its first post-apartheid elections in 1994.

In 2005 Mr. Golding was elected leader of the Jamaca Labour Party and following the party’s victory in the general elections of 2007 he was sworn in as prime minister of Jamaica. Among the significant achievements during his tenure are:

• Constitutional amendment to entrench a new Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms strengthening the rights of citizens guaranteed by the constitution;
• The establishment of the Independent Commission of Investigations to investigate cases of abuse of citizens’ rights by law enforcement and penal officers;
• Legislation to protect whistleblowers who expose malfeasance in the public sector;
• Appointment of a member of the opposition to chair every parliamentary oversight committee;
• Abolition of tuition fees at all public secondary schools and the removal of charges for patients treated at public hospitals;
• Establishment of the Junior Stock Exchange to enable small and medium-size enterprises to raise capital;
• Enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act to ensure fiscal prudence, balanced budgets and sustainable debt levels.

  Mr. Golding served as an Honorary Distinguished Fellow at the University of the West Indies from 2014 to 2024. Mr. Golding has led election observer missions on behalf of the Commonwealth and the Organization of American States to a number of countries including Bangladesh, Kenya, the Maldives, the Bahamas, Guyana, Antigua & Barbuda and St. Kitts & Nevis. He currently serves as one of the three-member Eminent Persons Group coordinating the efforts of the Caribbean Community to assist in resolving the political, economic and humanitarian crisis in Haiti.
  Mr. Golding is married with three children and six grandchildren.