CCJ ceremonial sitting to pay tribute to outgoing President

On Tuesday,  June  3, 2025, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will hold a Ceremonial Sitting at Queen’s Hall, Port of Spain, Trinidad, to honor the distinguished service of the Honourable Mr Justice Adrian Saunders, the outgoing President of the Court.

The CCJ, via press release, stated that the event will commemorate Justice Saunders’ retirement from his judicial duties after nearly thirty years of dedicated service to the Caribbean region, including twenty years at the CCJ, seven of which he served as the Court’s third President. His tenure concludes on 3 July 2025.

In a statement reflecting on the occasion, Justice Saunders expressed that it has been a true honor to serve the people of the Caribbean for almost three decades.

“Both at the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and here at the CCJ, I have had the privilege of working alongside a distinguished panel of judges and a committed team of staff, all of whom share an unwavering dedication to justice, regional development, and institutional excellence,” remarked Justice Saunders.

Justice Saunders hails from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and is recognized as the first citizen of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to serve on the bench. His judicial career began in 1996 with an appointment to the High Court of the ECSC. He was promoted to the Court of Appeal in 2003 and served as acting Chief Justice from 2004 to 2005.

The CCJ acknowledged that throughout his tenure at the ECSC, Justice Saunders was actively involved in judicial reform initiatives, including the introduction of court-connected mediation and the development of the Court’s first Judicial Code of Ethics. In 1998, he was awarded a Fellowship from the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute (CJEI). He served as the Course Director for the CJEI’s Intensive Study Programme for several years and currently holds the position of Vice President within the Institute.

According to the CCJ, “Due to his active engagement in advancing judicial integrity, Mr Justice Saunders was also appointed to serve on the Advisory Board of the Global Judicial Integrity Network by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.”

In 2005, Justice Saunders became one of the inaugural judges of the Caribbean Court of Justice. He is a founding member of the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers (CAJO), an organization dedicated to judicial education across the region, and served as its Chairman from 2009 until 2019.

In 2018, he was appointed President of the CCJ, a role he has held for approximately seven years—the maximum term permitted for Presidents of the Court. During his presidency, he oversaw the development of the Court’s Strategic Plans and played a key role in improving the Court’s administrative structure and public outreach efforts.

The Special Sitting will be  available on the Court’s YouTube page and can be viewed here: Special Sitting for the Hon. Mr Justice Adrian Saunders