- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 08:45

New CCJ president: Make court final appellate body

The Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ) fourth president Justice Winston Anderson hopes more countries make it its final appellate court during his tenure. He spoke of the issue after being sworn in on July 6. The ceremony featured addresses from Jamaican Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, Belizean Prime Minister Johnny Briceno, Jamaica’s governor-general Sir Patrick Allen, Caricom’s secretary-general Dr Carla Barnett and CCJ’s past president Justice Adrian Saunders. Many of the speakers told of Anderson’s stellar career and his work as a judge on the CCJ. Anderson said to dignitaries and family gathered for his installation, “After 20 years, the court has still not attracted full support of all eligible states for the appellate jurisdiction, with five out of a possible 11 states joining that jurisdiction. “I am hopeful that during my tenure, other states would fulfil their treaty obligations and become full members of the appellate jurisdiction.” He teasingly said he was looking straight ahead as he uttered those words where Dr Holness sat. Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, though eligible, are yet to make the CCJ the final court of appeal. In March, former Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley called on TT to complete its independence, sever ties with the Privy Council and make the CCJ its final appellate court. This has been an ongoing discussion for years. TT’s Criminal Bar Association supported Dr Rowley’s call to do so. In past discussions, current sitting Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar defended the country’s decision to maintain its use of the Privy Council as the final court of appeal. However, Anderson said the court was a symbol of the region’s collective maturity and independence and was not one imposed upon the Caribbean. “It is worth noting, that, in its appellate jurisdiction, the court has exerted reach and influence well beyond the five states of Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Dominica and St Lucia that have accepted that jurisdiction. “CCJ appellate cases are routinely cited and accorded favourable treatment by the judiciary in, virtually, every common law state in the Caribbean. “As I assume the office of president of the court, I do so not in isolation but as part of a broader regional movement of national judiciaries dedicated to delivering accessible justice, ensuring respect for and advancing the rule of law, protecting and promoting human rights and supporting sustainable development in our countries.” Anderson said his experience as a law lecturer taught him that graduates of the University of the West Indies’( UWI) Faculty of Law were amongst the brightest legal minds anywhere in the world. “Their presence in our community affirms that our most brilliant young citizens need not look beyond our shores for opportunities to excel in nation building or in living a good life. “There is a Caribbean dream if we care to conceive it…” He said his Caricom experience reinforced that sovereignty was inseparable from the Caribbean dream. His 15 years at the court revealed its transformative potential, he added “This year marks the 20th anniversary of that glorious April morning, in 2005, when the CCJ moved from the parchment of an agreement into a living and functional institution.” He said for 20 years the court has served the people and states of the region with “its full measure of devotion.” “It has produced hundreds of cases to guide conduct between and within member states. These judgements have been examined, scrutinised, grazed and critiqued. “They comprise a record against which to measure the promise and performance of the court. “Most fundamentally, the decisions of the court have begun to shape the way, we, the Caribbean people, live our lives and how we see ourselves. “It has been an honour to contribute to that process.” He thanked the Judicial and Legal Services Commission (JLSC) for entrusting him with the court’s presidency and the conference of heads of government which accepted the JLSC’s recommendation to make him its president. “I also thank the people of the Caribbean for their investment in and support of the CCJ as the ultimate voice of Caribbean justice.” Anderson acknowledged the work of his predecessors, saying they established the groundwork for the CCJ’s growth into a court of excellence. He credited the work of TT’s former Chief Justice Michael de la Bastide with “laying the foundation” and leading the inaugural bench which crafted the procedural rules, heard the first cases and “established a high bar of judicial erudition.” Legal luminaries Saunders and Sir Dennis Byron’s work also laid the foundation for the court to grow and prosper, he said. Anderson said as members of the judiciary they shared the responsibility in helping to make the Caribbean the place of choice to live, work, raise families, do business and retire in peace and security. “It is my intention to lead the CCJ in a manner worthy of its origins and its calling…” He added under his tenure the court would continue to strengthen its institutional capacity, enhance access to justice and deepen relationships with national judiciaries, regional and national institutions and the wider public. The post New CCJ president: Make court final appellate body appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.