diff --git a/.github/workflows/run_cedar_java_reusable.yml b/.github/workflows/run_cedar_java_reusable.yml
index 4b81772e..972757ca 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/run_cedar_java_reusable.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/run_cedar_java_reusable.yml
@@ -31,12 +31,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout Cedar Java
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          repository: cedar-policy/cedar-java
+          repository: muditchaudhary/cedar-java
           ref: ${{ inputs.cedar_java_ref }}
       - name: Checkout cedar-policy
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          repository: cedar-policy/cedar
+          repository: muditchaudhary/cedar
           ref: ${{ inputs.cedar_policy_ref }}
           path: ./cedar
       - name: Prepare Rust Build
diff --git a/CedarJavaFFI/Cargo.toml b/CedarJavaFFI/Cargo.toml
index 67445b1a..1bfc6884 100644
--- a/CedarJavaFFI/Cargo.toml
+++ b/CedarJavaFFI/Cargo.toml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ thiserror = "2.0"
 itertools = "0.14"
 
 # JNI Support
-jni = "0.21.0"
+jni = { version = "0.21.1", features = ["invocation"] }
 jni_fn = "0.1.0"
 
 [features]
diff --git a/CedarJavaFFI/src/interface.rs b/CedarJavaFFI/src/interface.rs
index 94e30491..d11e02df 100644
--- a/CedarJavaFFI/src/interface.rs
+++ b/CedarJavaFFI/src/interface.rs
@@ -623,3 +623,33 @@ fn policies_str_to_pretty_internal<'a>(
         }
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod interface_tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::jvm_test_utils::*;
+    use jni::JavaVM;
+    use std::sync::LazyLock;
+
+    // Static JVM to be used by all the tests. LazyLock for lazy thread-safe lazy initialization
+    static JVM: LazyLock<JavaVM> = LazyLock::new(|| create_jvm().unwrap());
+
+    mod policy_tests {
+        use super::*;
+
+        fn policy_effect_test_util(env: &mut JNIEnv, policy: &str, expected_effect: &str) {
+            let policy_string = env.new_string(policy).unwrap();
+            let effect_result = policy_effect_jni_internal(env, policy_string).unwrap();
+            let effect_jstr = JString::cast(env, effect_result.l().unwrap()).unwrap();
+            let effect = String::from(env.get_string(&effect_jstr).unwrap());
+            assert_eq!(effect, expected_effect);
+        }
+
+        #[test]
+        fn policy_effect_tests() {
+            let mut env = JVM.attach_current_thread().unwrap();
+            policy_effect_test_util(&mut env, "permit(principal,action,resource);", "permit");
+            policy_effect_test_util(&mut env, "forbid(principal,action,resource);", "forbid");
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/CedarJavaFFI/src/jvm_test_utils.rs b/CedarJavaFFI/src/jvm_test_utils.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1c57386f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CedarJavaFFI/src/jvm_test_utils.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Cedar Contributors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+#![cfg(test)]
+
+use jni::{InitArgsBuilder, JavaVM};
+
+/// Creates a new Java Virtual Machine (JVM) instance with basic configuration for tests
+///
+/// # Returns
+/// * `Result<JavaVM, jni::errors::StartJvmError>` - A Result containing either:
+///   * `JavaVM` - The successfully created JVM instance
+///   * `StartJvmError` - Error that occurred during JVM creation
+///
+pub(crate) fn create_jvm() -> Result<JavaVM, jni::errors::StartJvmError> {
+    let jvm_args = InitArgsBuilder::new()
+        .option("-Xcheck:jni")
+        .build()
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let jvm = JavaVM::new(jvm_args)?;
+    Ok(jvm)
+}
diff --git a/CedarJavaFFI/src/lib.rs b/CedarJavaFFI/src/lib.rs
index 11f0b6f8..194b0ace 100644
--- a/CedarJavaFFI/src/lib.rs
+++ b/CedarJavaFFI/src/lib.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ mod answer;
 mod interface;
 mod jlist;
 mod jset;
+mod jvm_test_utils;
 mod objects;
 mod tests;
 mod utils;