(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Attorneys General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) met over two days in Port of Spain, Trinidad, to tackle a comprehensive agenda that included a review of the various Model Legislation and Agreements seeking to effect mandates of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and Community policy.
Legal Affairs
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Representatives of the Regional legal fraternity, policy holders, bankers, business executives and entrepreneurs are among those who will have an opportunity to explore developments in law as they relate to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) at the inaugural symposium on Current Developments in Caribbean Community Law.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The Eighth Ordinary Meeting of the Legal Affairs Committee (LAC) was held at the Krasnapolsky Hotel Paramaribo, Suriname on 11 February, 2005 under the chairmanship of H.E. Mr. Siegfried F. Gilds, Minister of Justice and Police of the Republic of Suriname. Representatives from eight Member States participated in the Meeting and Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago were represented at the level of Attorney-General.
MEMBERS_
The Rt. Hon. Mr. Justice Michael de la Bastide, T.C., P.C., Chairman
Tee Hon. Sir David Simmons, K.A., B.C.H.
Ambassador Christopher Thomas, C.M.T., D. Laws
The Rt. Hon. Sir Vincent Floissac, C.M.G., Q.C.
Professor Aubrey Bishop, O.R, CCH, B.Sc., LLM
Dr. Magda Hoever-Venoaks, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Mr. Allan J. Alexander, SC
Dr. the Hon. Lloyd George Barnett, O.J.
Ms. Gloria Gray, B.Sc., M.Sc.
Ms. Nelcia Robinson, B.Sc.
Mr. Othniel Sylvester C.M.G., Q.C.
The process of inaugurating the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) before the end of 2003 has taken two significant strides forward with the finalisation of the membership of both the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission and the Board of Trustees of the CCJ Trust Fund.
The Agreement Establishing the Court sets out in Article V (1), the composition of the Commission, as nominees from the regional entities or, in two cases, representatives of permanent organs of Member States.
“There is hereby established a Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission which shall consist of the
At the Twenty-Fourth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, Heads considered the request made to each Member State of the Community by the Government of the United States of America to enter into bilateral immunity or ‘non-surrender” agreements that exempt US nationals and other persons who have worked for the US Government from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The Caribbean Court of Justice in its continued Public Education Programme, on the 22-23 May, 2003 launched its public education programme in Haiti.
Haiti is the newest Member State embraced as a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The launch and first round of the education programme in Haiti, targeted the Judiciary and Magistracy.
The Haitian Judiciary was given the opportunity to discuss the CCJ in the context of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
The people of St. Kitts and Nevis recently had another opportunity to learn more about the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) by way of a series of regional educational activities, led by a team from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat.
The team, led by Sheldon McDonald, CCJ Project Co-ordinator for the establishment of the CCJ, began its educational activities, organised by the St. Kitts and Nevis National Co-ordinating Committee for the CCJ with a live radio and television discussion on the broadcast network ZIZ Radio and Television.
The question has been asked sometimes why do we need a Caribbean Court of Justice. The short and simple response is that without it the CARICOM Single Market and Economy will certainly not function effectively. For it is inevitable that in the cut and thrust of the commercial and economic life involving trade in goods, in services, trans-community investment and movement of skilled labour as well as the dynamics of social life within that market, there will be disputes.
Public support across the region for the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) had risen from 68% in 2000 to 80% in 2002 reported Mr. Sheldon Mc Donald, CCJ Project Coordinator in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat. He said that all member states of CARICOM are united in their support for the establishment of the regional Court.