CCJ Academy for Law hosts 8th Biennial Conference in Trinidad and Tobago

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Academy for Law, the educational arm of the CCJ, will host its 8th Biennial Conference, under the theme “The CCJ at 20: Reflections on Caribbean Jurisprudence” at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad, from 26–28 November 2025. As the Court marks its 20th anniversary, the Academy’s 8th Biennial Conference will allow a cross-section of stakeholders to reflect on the Court’s past, present and future role. It will bring together judicial officers, legal practitioners, academics, policymakers, and regional partners from all throughout the region to reflect on the Court’s two decades of contribution to Caribbean jurisprudence.

The Conference will include an Opening Ceremony, which will be addressed by Senator, the Honourable John Jeremie, SC, Attorney General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the CCJ President, the Honourable Mr. Justice Winston Anderson, and the Honourable Mme Justice Chantal Ononaiwu, Deputy Chair of the CCJ Academy for Law. Representatives from the CARICOM Secretariat, the European Union, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Caribbean Development Bank will also deliver remarks.

Reflecting on the significance of the event, President Anderson remarked, ‘This twentieth anniversary of the Court invites both introspection and forward vision. Over the past two decades, the Court has sought to cultivate a body of work that is principled, accessible, and shaped by the lived realities of our Caribbean societies. This Conference provides an invaluable space for judges, scholars, and practitioners to reflect on where we have been and to imagine, together, the future of Caribbean justice.’

Mme Justice Ononaiwu emphasised the importance of collaboration and intellectual exchange in advancing the region’s legal systems, stating, ‘The Academy’s Biennial Conference has always served as a forum for rigorous discussion on pressing issues for our Region. As we commemorate twenty years of service by the CCJ, this gathering underscores our commitment to nurturing a regional justice sector that is innovative and responsive to the needs of our people.’

Throughout the three-day programme, participants will engage on a wide range of issues critical to the rule of law and justice delivery in the Caribbean. The agenda covers constitutional law and fundamental rights, criminal justice reform, the interaction between international and domestic law, family law, estate and probate practice, commercial law, the nexus between environmental justice and intellectual property and sustainable development, the role of technology in law and justice, and the Court’s evolving methodological approaches to adjudication. The programme also features a session on the CCJ’s Original Jurisdiction, including its role in shaping and strengthening the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.

CCJ Judges will participate as speakers, moderators, or presenters in sessions. The Conference will also include an address from former CCJ President, the Rt Honourable Sir Dennis Byron, who will reflect on the legacy of the Court as it enters its third decade of service. Dr Kenny Anthony, former Prime Minister of Saint Lucia and former Lecturer in Law, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, will also deliver a presentation on the separation of powers in constitutional matters.

The Conference continues the Academy’s longstanding mission to foster scholarly exchange, strengthen legal education, and support the development of a resilient and efficient regional justice sector, focusing particularly on the role of the CCJ in supporting regional justice delivery.

The CCJ Academy for Law is a not-for-profit legal person incorporated under the Laws of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and is situated at the seat of the Caribbean Court of Justice. The Academy acknowledges the support of its partners and sponsors, whose contributions have made this Conference possible. These include the CCJ, the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers, Gurley & Associates Limited trading as The Book Specialists, the Delegation of the European Union to Trinidad and Tobago, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, CAF – Development Bank for Latin America and the Caribbean, Trinidad Systems Limited, LexisNexis, the Caribbean Association of Women Judges, the Equal Opportunity Tribunal, the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions – Guyana, and the Environmental Commission of Trinidad and Tobago.

About the Caribbean Court of Justice

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) was inaugurated in Port of Spain, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on 16 April 2005 and presently has a Bench of seven judges presided over by CCJ President, the Honourable Mr Justice Winston Anderson. The CCJ has an Original and an Appellate Jurisdiction and is effectively, therefore, two courts in one. In its Original Jurisdiction, it is an international court with exclusive jurisdiction to interpret and apply the rules set out in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC) and to decide disputes arising under it. The RTC established the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). In its Original Jurisdiction, the CCJ is critical to the CSME and all 12 Member States which belong to the CSME (including their citizens, businesses, and governments) can access the Court’s Original Jurisdiction to protect their rights under the RTC. In its Appellate Jurisdiction, the CCJ is the final court of appeal for criminal and civil matters for those countries in the Caribbean that alter their national Constitutions to enable the CCJ to perform that role. At present, five states access the Court in its Appellate Jurisdiction, these being Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, and Saint Lucia. However, by signing and ratifying the Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice, Member States of the Community have demonstrated a commitment to making the CCJ their final court of appeal. The Court is the realisation of a vision of our ancestors, an expression of independence and a signal of the region’s coming of age.