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An honour is a made by His Excellency The Governor General under the National Honours and Awards Act and the Regulations made under Section 7 of the said Act. The term ‘award’ is oftentimes used in the JDF without distinction whether the award is an appointment to an Order or is a decoration or a medal. Awards of medals to members of the uniformed forces are normally announced on Labour Day whereas the civil list is normally announced on Independence Day. Awards are always published in the Jamaica Gazette.

2.

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The award of an Order signifies appointment to one of the five Societies of Honour named at Section 3 of the National Honours and Awards Act, and gives the awardee the right of membership of that Order and to wear the insignia of the Order. The insignia of Orders vary in style and in the manner of wearing. Every person appointed to the Order of National Hero is entitled to be styled "Right Excellent" and persons appointed to the other Societies are entitled to have the post nominals of the Order to which they are appointed placed after their names when the use of such post nominals is appropriate.

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A decoration is an award made by His Excellency The Governor General but is not an appointment to an Order.   A decoration includes medals, medal ribbons, clasps, bars and good conduct badges.

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A medal is a circular or oval piece of metal bearing images and inscriptions, and hangs from a ribbon attached to the tunic. The medal may carry a post nominal which may be placed after the name of the recipient where the use of such post nominal is customary.

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A Mention is Dispatches is an award for service in an operational area for an act of bravery or for exceptional conduct or efficiency or performance over and above the call of duty. It is denoted by the wearing of bronze oak leaf emblem on the ribbon of the Medal of Honour for General Service.

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A bar (a strip of metal) is awarded to recognition of further service under the conditions for which the medal is awarded and is worn affixed tot he ribbon of the related medal. A bar may be awarded to recipients of Medal of Honour for Gallantry, the Medal of Honour for Meritorious Service , the Medal of Honour for Long Service and Good conduct and the Medal of Honour for Efficient Service.

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A clasp is a bar bearing the name of the country in which the operation occurred and the duration of the operation for which the medal is awarded. Subsequent operations may be recognised by the award of further clasps. Clasps are related to the Medal of Honour for General Service.

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A ribbon is a narrow band of fabric of a width and with colours, which are of significance, as specified by the relevant Regulations.

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Ribbon(s) mounted on a brooch and worn in lieu of medal(s).

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A rose (sometime referred to as a rosette) is a very small moulded ornament made of medal and resembling a rose, and a rose on a ribbon denotes a bar.

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The mounting of a medal, or medals in their order of precedence, on a brooch but with the medal(s) hanging loosely. No part of the brooch should be visible from the front.

12.

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The mounting of medal, or medals in their order of precedence, on a stiff backing which concealed by the relevant medal ribbon(s) and to which backing a brooch is affixed, with a medal(s) firmly affixed to the backing. No part of the brooch should be visible from the front.