The Legal Affairs Committee considered the items on its Agenda. Of particular note, Agreement was reached on the following:
(1) Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Supreme Court/Caribbean Court of Justice
The Instrument establishing the Court was redrafted
Other supporting instruments are at an advanced stage and should be completed in July by the Legal Officers Meeting which has been constituted to examine and draft these instruments
It is likely that the Heads of Conference will be in a position at its regular meeting in July 1998 to conclude an Agreement Establishing the Court including the matter of the Headquarters or Seat of the Court
(2) The engagement of a Consultant to draft an Inter-Governmental Agreement for the establishment of a Regional Justice Protection Programme.
This is of critical importance to the Region given the high incidence of murder and the growth of crime in all Member States which threaten the economic and social stability of the Region.
(3) To request the Heads of Conference to establish a Working Group to consider the harmonisation of a strategic approach regarding the implementation of the death penalty in light of challenges presented by the recent decisions of the Privy Council and the failure of the relevant Human Rights organisations to guarantee the expeditious hearing and determination of petitions within the time frames set by the Privy Council.
(4) To the considerations of Protocols III, IV and V.
The Legal Affairs Committee had hoped to complete its considerations of these Protocols prior to the 9th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Heads of Conference on March 2-3. Institutional constraints including the packed calendar of CARICOM precludes other competent organs from pronouncing on these instruments prior to their transmission to this Committee which is the body constitutionally last seized of examination of instruments prior to the Heads.
