Port-of-Spain, CCJ – April 16, 2016, marked the eleventh year since the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) first opened its doors to the people of the Caribbean region.
The Court was inaugurated in Port-of-Spain in 2005, and has since been making strides in the advancement of the provision of judicial services to the Caribbean region.
The Court is building its technological capacity and developing further its court performance standards in keeping with the International Framework on Court Excellence. The Court believes that these institutional
strengthening initiatives will continue to uphold efficiency, transparency and accessibility in the
carrying out of its mandate.
The CCJ continues to uphold its primary and exclusive role for settling disputes emanating from the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas of the Caribbean Community. It is under this Original Jurisdiction that all CARICOM states and citizens can access the Court.
While at present Barbados, Guyana, Belize and Dominica can access the appellate jurisdiction, the CARICOM states of Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada have initiated public consultations on relinquishing ties with the Privy Council and moving to the CCJ.
The Court’s 11-year track record has resulted in the delivery and disposition of 163 matters out of a total of 182 applications and appeals from both its original and appellate jurisidictions.
Apart from fulfilling its judicial role, CCJ President; the Rt. Hon. Sir Dennis Byron and the judges continue to actively participate in the various judicial reform activities throughout the Caribbean region. The CCJ is the executing agency for the Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening (JURIST) Project, a five-year programme that is funded by the Government of Canada.
For further information about the Court, visit its website http://www.caribbeancourtofjustice.org (Caribbean Court of Justice Press Release)
