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

Parliament of Jamaica

The Parliament of Jamaica is the legislative branch of the government of Jamaica. It is a bicameral body, composed of an appointed Senate and an elected House of Representatives....

 in 1969 (Act No. 21 of 1969). The system is modelled largely on the British honours system

British honours system

The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories...

. The Governor-General

Governor-General of Jamaica

The Governor-General of Jamaica represents the Jamaican monarch, and head of state, who holds the title of King or Queen of Jamaica ....

 is the Chancellor

Chancellor

Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...

 of each order, membership of which is conferred by the Governor-General upon the advice of the Prime Minister of Jamaica

Prime Minister of Jamaica

The Prime Minister of Jamaica is Jamaica's head of government, currently Andrew Holness. Andrew Holness was elected as the new leader of the governing Jamaica Labour Party and succeeded Bruce Golding to become Jamaica's ninth Prime Minister on 23 October 2011...

. The sovereign is not, however, the sovereign of these orders, as in the case of the Order of Canada

Order of Canada

The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...

 and the Order of Australia

Order of Australia

The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...

. In a sense, therefore, they are somewhat analogous to those distinctions awarded by certain of the Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 provinces. Most Jamaican honours entitle recipients to attach postnominal abbreviations to their names, and some include prenominal titles.

Honours

The honours in this Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...

n system, from highest to lowest in rank:

Description	Ribbon	Comment
The Order of National Hero Order of National Hero (Jamaica) The Order of National Hero is an honour awarded by the government of Jamaica. It is a part of the Jamaican honours system that has been in place since 1969.-Description:... is conferred upon any citizen of Jamaica who has rendered service of the most distinguished nature to Jamaica. Membership in the order entitles the recipient to the pre-nominal style of 'The Right Excellent' and to the post-nominal title 'National Hero of Jamaica'.		Neck Badge Ribbon
		Medal Ribbon
The Order of the Nation Order of the Nation The Order of the Nation is a Jamaican honour. It is a part of the Jamaican honours system and was instituted in 1973 as the second highest honour in the country–the Order of National Hero being the highest.... is the second highest Jamaican order, was instituted in 1973 by Regulations made under the National Honours and Awards Act. It is often awarded to Governors-General Governor-General of Jamaica The Governor-General of Jamaica represents the Jamaican monarch, and head of state, who holds the title of King or Queen of Jamaica ....  and to persons who have held the office of Prime Minister.		Neck Badge Ribbon
		Medal Ribbon
The Order of Excellence Order of Excellence The Order of Excellence is one of the six civil decorations of Jamaica which are awarded annually to "deserving citizens." The Order of Excellence is the most recent honor to be created, having been brought into being in 2003... , introduced in 2003, is the newest addition to the Jamaican honours system. It was created to be bestowed upon foreign heads of state or government. Prior to this, foreign heads or state or government received the Order of Merit http://www.jis.gov.jm/officepm/html/20050310t190000-0500_5068_jis_chancery_of_the_societies_of_honour___ensuring_that_jamaicans_are_rewarded_for_excellence.asp
The Order of Merit Jamaican Order of Merit The Order of Merit is part of the Jamaican honours system and is the third highest honour conferred by the nation of Jamaica. The Order of Merit is conferred upon Jamaicans or on distinguished citizen of another country who has achieved eminent international distinction in the field of science,... is the third highest Jamaican order and is meant for any citizen of Jamaica who has achieved eminent international distinction in the fields of science, the arts, literature or any other endeavour. Honorary membership in this order is available to distinguished citizens of other nations. Membership in the order entitles the recipient to the pre-nominal style of 'The Right Honourable' and to the post-nominal title 'Order of Merit' or 'O.M.' .
The Order of Jamaica Order of Jamaica The Order of Jamaica is the fourth of the five ranks in the Jamaican honours system. The Order was established in 1969, and is considered the equivalent of knighthood in the British honours system.... is the fourth order in precedence in Jamaica. It is awarded to any Jamaican citizen of outstanding distinction. Like the Order of Merit, there is also a class of honorary members for foreign nationals. Membership in this order is considered the equivalent of a British United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...  knight Knight A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior.... hood.		Sash Ribbon (3 inches wide)
		Neck Ribbon (1½ inches wide)
The Order of Distinction Order of distinction The Order of Distinction in Jamaica is the fifth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament – The National Honours and Awards Act.The Motto of the Order is "Distinction Through Service".... is the fifth order in precedence in Jamaica. It was intended to be the equivalent of the British Order of the British Empire Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions... . It has two ranks, Commander and Officer. In this order, as well, honorary memberships may be made to foreign nationals either at the rank of Commander or Officer.

Awards

Description

Ribbon

The Jamaican Prime Ministers Medal of Appreciation Jamaican Prime Ministers Medal of Appreciation The Jamaican Prime Ministers Medal of Appreciation is an award presented by the Prime Minister of Jamaica to those individuals whom he feels are worthy to be recognized for services to Jamaica or to those Jamaicans who have excelled in personal achievements outside of Jamaica.It is not part of the... is an award presented by the Prime Minister of Jamaica to those individuals whom he feels are worthy to be recognized for services to Jamaica or to those Jamaicans who have excelled in personal achievements outside of Jamaica. It is not part of the Jamaican National Honours system. Most recipients will not advance into the Honour system, but a few have been appointed into the Honours system.