(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The February 03 ruling by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council that the legislation enacted by Jamaica to establish the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is unconstitutional, has the potential for profound adverse effects on the establishment of the CCJ and the effective implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). This will be the foremost topic for discussion when the Caribbean Community's (CARICOM) Legal Affairs Committee (LAC) meets in Suriname on 9 -11 February 2005.
The LAC, comprising the Region's Attorneys-General and Ministers responsible for legal affairs and national security is having its first meeting in Suriname, the CARICOM Member State whose president H.E. Dr. Runaldo Venetiaan is the present Chairman of the Community. The meeting will be chaired by the Minister of Justice and Police of Suriname the Honourable Siegfried Gilds.
Apart from the Privy Council decision, discussions are expected to focus on legal synergy among Member States, with specific regard to the Free Movement of Skilled Nationals, which is a major pillar of the CSME.
The meeting is also slated to receive several reports, including the deferral of the CCJ inauguration, and a submission by the working group assigned to examine the reform of legal education in the Community.
As the Community forges ahead with a security plan to combat cross-border and other criminal activities, the LAC is also expected to give full attention to issues of justice and security in the Region. This is against the backdrop of reports on the implementation of the United Nations (UN) Convention Against Corruption, and the implementation of a Regional Justice Protection Programme.
In its determination over Regional Projects with regard to Terrorism, the meeting will look at collaboration with the CARICOM Legislative Drafting Facility (CLDF) and the Organisation of American States (OAS) in Convening Regional Seminars, as well as finalising legislation regarding OAS Convention and UN Security Council Resolution 1373 which speaks to steps and strategies to combat international terrorism.
Other pertinent issues on the agenda of the upcoming meeting include the designation of the Regional Aviation Safety Oversight System (RASOS) as an institution of the Caribbean Community pursuant to Article 21 of the Revised Treaty, CARICOM-US negotiations on enforcement of child support obligations, and legal issues related to Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Contact:
Carolyn Walcott
Email: cwalcott@caricom.org
