Dominicans support for CCJ applauded

douglas
Legal affairs minister Ian Douglas

Dominica’s Legal Affairs Minister, Ian Douglas, has applauded the Dominican populace for the level of support shown thus far towards implementing the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The CCJ was established in 2001, to replace the London-based Privy Council as the region’s highest court.

The Government of Dominica, through its Ministry of Legal affairs, has over the past months been hosting sensitization meetings and other public awareness programs across the country with a view to educate the public on important aspects about the CCJ.

Minister Douglas told parliament earlier this week that he is encouraged by the overwhelming support of nationals towards the appellate court.

“I would really like to commend the Dominican populace for the support they have shown and given towards the implementation of the appellate jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice. The support has been tremendous around the country. Every single community that we went to Madame Speaker, people asked questions to educate themselves,” he said.

Douglas noted that “generally the population of Dominica is in agreement that we must move forward and implement the Caribbean Court of Justice in all its forms.”

The Caribbean Court of Justice has been designed to be more than a court of last resort for Member States of the Caribbean Community.

Information from the CARICOM Community Secretariat indicates that “In addition to replacing the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the CCJ will be vested with an original jurisdiction in respect of the interpretation and application of the Treaty Establishing the Caribbean Community”.

The Secretariat has also indicated that “In effect, the CCJ would exercise both an appellate and an original jurisdiction”.

The regional body notes further that “In the exercise of its appellate jurisdiction, the CCJ will consider and determine appeals in both civil and criminal matters from common law courts within the jurisdictions of Member states of the Community and which are parties to the Agreement Establishing the CCJ.”

In the discharge of its appellate jurisdiction, the CCJ will be the highest municipal court in the region.

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18 Comments

  1. forkit
    November 3, 2013

    stupes….ccj?

  2. ???????????
    November 3, 2013

    But Ian are you mad or what?

  3. The Baptiste
    November 3, 2013

    Why do the editor ask for comments, but when comments are made that do not fit the editor’s script the readers are denied the opportunity to read those comments? Is this the continuing censureship of opinions that does not fit into the traditional mould of thinking?
    I posted some comments giving the real genesis of this CCJ, information which I believe is been with held from the people whom they are asking to support this CCJ. Relevant information that I believe is critical in the process; but I suppose sice my comments were not pro CCJ, and it addressed the current status of jurisprudence in the OECS states that the editor could not identify with, those comments were deleted.
    Maybe there ought to be a new definition of “Freedom of the Press”, as well as its role to inform and educate.

    Admin: I assume that you have realized by now that your comment was not censored. It just hadn’t as yet been approved.

  4. bombshell
    November 2, 2013

    Smiling faces often tell lies. Ian man, Ian man, you are usually a serious man; stop doing the skerrit thing.

  5. valda Bruno Durand
    November 2, 2013

    Am i really that out of touch? i thought Ian was the minister of Tourism, Admin, does he hold two ministies?

    Admin: He is also the minister for legal affairs.

  6. Tumble back kick
    November 2, 2013

    I thought that you would give the people an update on your progress about the land issue in your dad’s jardin patat, What happen this a now a non issue?

  7. The Baptiste
    November 2, 2013

    I am constantly reminded of the words of the late Pierre Charles, when he stated that “Dominicans wear their ignorance like a badge of honour”. Why are these eminent legal scholars, and jurists in the Caribbean not telling us the real reason for their sudden desire to have this “CCJ” thrust upon the people.
    The genesis of this whole idea has nothing to do with independence, colonism, or even desire for true justice, this is all about the whipping they got from the privy council in their denial of justice to poor people throught the region. I am not opposed to the death penalty, but why is it because the UK does not have the death penalty, and that the privy council been our final court of appeal may not agree with the cruel and unusual delay of execution, be the reason for the CCJ call?
    It is the on going perversion of the judicial system in the region, the immaturity of our jurists, particularly over the last 20 or so years, the incompetence and illogical rulings, that go mainly against the poor and disposed, the politisation of the judiciary, particularly in the OECS states, and the blatant lack or respect of the courts for the people of the region.
    One of the fundamentals, if not the most significant tenents of our judicial system is “English Common Law”, the foundation of which is property rights. It is meant mainly to protect the property of the mighty, but I do not hear all these lawyers calling to change the basis of the system, since it is that of the “Colonial Masters”.
    If your greatest argument is that as an independent people we should have our own final court of appeal, then why are we still using the same old rotten colonial legal foundation? You all are so smart, develop your own so that you will be free once and for all from colonialism.
    How can one have any confidence in a judiciary when a sitting judge of the OECS high court makes remarks like, “Let them blame the prime minister for the accident that took the lives of two young men”.
    Is that an appropriate comment for a sitting judge who actually sat on a case involving the PM?
    All this hogwash these lawyers want us to swallow, yet when the constitution is been violated they remain silent, when justice is been perverted they remain silent.
    I say stay with the privy council until these excuses that currently pass for judges, these spineless wonders have matured intellectually, and otherwise, and until they can demonstrate, not by rhetoric, but by their actions that they are truly independent of these two bit politicians that now infest the region.

    P.S pardon any misspelling

  8. Erasmus B. Black
    November 1, 2013

    Reading this article called to mind a commercial for Toyota by Mr. Dennis Joseph on DBS Radio a few years ago to wit, “leur zor vwer tout Johnny come lately endan competition a yo, yo mem say judge, yo mem say contestant, yo mem say audience” – and to this I’ll add “yo mem car rate cor yo (translation: whey you see those Johnny come lately in their competition, they are the contestant, judge and audience – and also rating their own selves) just beware.

    Mr. Minister, your comment is rather like manicou hunting. Why not just have a referendum to find out how the populace feels about the CCJ?

  9. dafriend
    November 1, 2013

    How can you state: “I would really like to commend the Dominican populace for the support they have shown and given towards the implementation of the appellate jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice. The support has been tremendous around the country.
    Where do you get your wisdom from, Garcon? The only people who support CCJ is you, your political master, the DLP, some of the DLPs blind followers and some Roseau lawyers. Everybody else, in particular the once that can add one and one together, know what all this is about. The Privy Council in London was the only hope for fair, and equal justice a Dominican could seek, free of any influence by the government.
    Is this how you justify your monthly wages, standing up in front of people and insult them with your verbal diarrhoea? How can you guys sleep at night??

  10. looking
    November 1, 2013

    I fully support CCJ, i have confidence in our technocrats and in our ability to run our court of appeal.My fear is that prestigious well known people will infiltrate and influence cases. Just my opinion

  11. DA abroad
    November 1, 2013

    does anyone have a contact number or email address for Hon.Ian Douglas

    • uhmmmmm
      November 2, 2013

      yep send me your email

  12. Francisco Telemaque
    November 1, 2013

    Ian, you are on your trip of exaggerations again!

    Which populace are you applauding for their support of Dominica becoming part, and parcel of the CCJ; for your information Ian, there is a majority of Labor Party supports who are against such an foolish idea. The myth that you have this majority of people supporting that stupid idea exists only in your mind; and in the mind of the government only.

    Perhaps you are not listening to the voices of the majority of people who are opposed to this another blonder the Labor Party is about to make. You listen to such as that recent so called graduated lawyer, who believe that becoming a member of that court will be the best thing to happen to our country.

    What does this kid know; she has not even represented a single client in our local court as of yet, never mind going to the Privy council, yet she is an authoritative advisor on Privy Council vs CCJ.

    Are you people crazy or what?

    We Dominicans, and the rest of the Caribbean people knows, that especially in Dominica decisions rendered by so called judges are most of the time not based on any precedence, however, on personal feelings, and favoritism, politics takes precedence over the law, the judges are appointed by the prime ministers, who control these so called judges like poppet’s on a strings, they do the will of the politicians, or they loose their job.

    The Privy Council in London is the only hope for fair, and equal justice a Dominican can seek when they are wrong, by a bias, prejudicial, political decision rendered by these so called judiciary of the Caribbean; if ever there should be a protest in the streets of Dominica over any political decisions in recent months, or years, there should be an insurrection against this one.

    If someone is willing to lead an insurrection against such decision and do not know how to go about it, perhaps they can get some coaching, and advise from the sitting governor, head of State, or President of State whatever, honor is bestowed on him!

    He knows how to effect that since he succeeded in the overthrow of former Prime Minister Patrick John.

    Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

    I done oui!

    Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque

    • budman
      November 3, 2013

      didn’t have a problem with your post exceptthe part where you referred to the new lawyer as “so called” this label suggests that the lawyer may not have qualified to be called such. that’s not fair on your part.

      • Francisco Telemaque
        November 4, 2013

        Graduating law school does not make one a lawyer; that is why the term practicing law is used!

        Until this person represents a few clients, and be victorious, her opinion regarding the CCJ to any other court in the universe is irrelevant at this time. You see I live in a country where there are lots of people who has law, medical, engineering, and all sort of degrees, who have never practice one day in their life.

        Hence because of their lack of hands on experience; their opinions are almost useless when they are rendered; how can someone who has no experience within the Privy Council, nor the CCJ determine that the CCJ will serve a better purpose than a court which has been around for more than a hundred years, and has not failed to render verdicts which are fair.

        The Privy main duty is to interpret the law, and dispense justice based on the rule of law, and not emotion, and personal feelings, we have never experienced a corrupt ruling handed down by that court. However, political rulings are handed down through out the Caribbean everyday.

        Here is one for you: my late brother Police Inspector in the Antigua police force was gunned down murdered okay; someone involved in his murder informed the police; this murderer informant told the police he is involved, and told the police who pulled the trigger murdering my brother.

        At the end of the murder trial, the corrupt judge threw the case out, claiming that there not enough evidence to convict the criminals who murdered my brother.

        This is a little different, but my nephew was murdered in Wesley, someone confessed to his murder, the police all the confessed criminal to walk, stating there is insufficient evidence to chard him, next thing you know the confessed murderer himself was found murdered with his throat slashed in the same fashion as my nephew.

        The police in Dominica blamed Vaughn Dods my cousin for my nephew’s murder; the problem is Vaughn was in jail locked up when my nephew was killed; but such are what we deal with where it pertains to law and justice in the Caribbean.

        Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque

  13. Anonymous
    November 1, 2013

    The majority of Dominicans are not in favour of the CCJ. :?:

  14. halibot
    November 1, 2013

    hhmmmm major support from nationals?????

    D.N.O another poll please, i’m confused….

  15. Nature Spice
    November 1, 2013

    Mr Minister, how did you measure the amount of support the Dominican populace has shown thus far towards implementing the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

    Have you carried out a scientific poll or held a referendum for the bases of your statement? How do you know that their answers were genuine or just said yes because they would be given some hand-outs?

    It is high time in the 21st century that this government and Dominica people do things the right way. Everywhere in the world you see a poll saying, what is the support of the people with figures and percentages for a particular cause or situation. We like to compare ourselves to the USA so when Obama makes a policy statement, polls are carried out to see what level of support he enjoys or not.

    Mr Minister can you provide the percentage of people who support, those who don’t support and the reason(s) why they support or not? I believe that would be more informative than just saying we go to the different communities and the people ask question to educate themselves. Is that how you measure the overwhelming support? Is that the way we are showing our children how to make decisions?

    Mr minister if Dominica wants to go to the CCJ as its final court of appeal for criminal matter, then I suggest that your government go to the people and hold a referendum and then you can come out and make such statement. As far I am concerned that statement of your is just a political one, therefore it is unfounded and baseless.

    Until then I suggest that you and your government do more education and go to every nuke and cranny in Dominica to education the people and not just selected communities and hold a referendum.

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