Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) notes that the Constitution of Saint Lucia (Amendment) Act has been assented to by the Governor General of Saint Lucia and that state has now officially acceded to the CCJ’s Appellate Jurisdiction. On behalf of the CCJ, I extend my sincerest congratulations to the people of Saint Lucia on this momentous occasion.
Saint Lucia now becomes the fifth CARICOM nation to take this defining step and the CCJ welcomes the opportunity to serve the citizens of that country. Statistics collated by the Court in 2022 reveal that in each Caribbean state that has acceded to the CCJ’s appellate jurisdiction, the volume of cases being heard by that country’s final court annually has at least doubled, thereby contributing to the dynamism of the country’s jurisprudence and considerably expanding access to justice for its citizenry. We have no doubt that Saint Lucia too will have a similar experience.
The Honourable Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Dame Janice Pereira, and the President of the Saint Lucia Bar Association, Ms Diana Thomas Hunte, have been written to advising of the readiness of the CCJ’s Registry staff to assist Saint Lucian court officials, litigants and counsel alike in the use of the CCJ’s electronic filing and case management portals in order to facilitate access to the Court.
The CCJ looks forward to serving the people of Saint Lucia as we do all the states and people of the Caribbean Community and in particular, those of Guyana, Barbados, Belize and the Commonwealth of Dominica, whose final appeals we hear.
The CCJ looks forward to more CARICOM states accessing the CCJ’s Appellate Jurisdiction in the future.
CARICOM is made up of fifteen independent member states. Only five of these jurisdictions have made the CCJ their final court of appeal. Why only such a small number?
Do the other ten territories think that the CCJ is not capable of rendering fair and unbiased decisions? There must be some compelling reason(s) for this stubborn reluctance to join.Are our Caribbean judges incapable of putting their personal and political prejudices aside?
When I think about how the former president of the CCJ has allowed himself to be manipulated by a lousy, unintelligent ruler by accepting $500K to reform the electoral system of a member state, this certainly sends shivers through my body. It gives validity to the disinclination of the other countries to join.
@Ibo France…
This is what one our esteemed attorneys, Clara Shillingford, had to say about the court.
Quote “I think we have a lot of problems in the Caribbean in terms of a lack of separation of powers but I think the CCJ is different.” Unquote.
She made that statement after a win in a case before this very court. Case: Mariette Warrington v. DBS Radio.
Ugly Lenny was the last man (and case)from Dominica to be made to look like a Jacka by the Privy council .The man did not know the difference between MAY have and MUST have.
Trash bin comments as usual. Lazy Lin, you should be arrested for indiscriminately throwing your foul smelling garbage all over this news site.