Consultations on the establishment of the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), and arrangements for the inauguration of the Court, which is scheduled for the latter half of 2003, is expected to commence soon. This was a mandate coming out of the Fourteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which concluded in Trinidad and Tobago last weekend.
Legal Affairs
In 1970, at the Sixth Caribbean Heads of Government Conference held in Jamaica, that country’s delegation proposed the establishment of a Caribbean Court of Appeal. Arguments for and against such a Court have been discussed and debated by both Bench and Bar of the Region for the past thirty years. In February 2001 the last bold step was taken to ensure the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice when the agreement establishing the Court was signed by the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community.
1. The Magistracy_
In examining the proposals relating to the role of the Magistracy in the functioning of the CCJ, the following were noted_
   (a) The Magistrates will be required to make referrals to the CCJ in its Original Jurisdiction as it relates to the interpretation and application of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas;
   (b) It was submitted that a working knowledge of the Revised Treaty should be part of continuing legal education for Magistrates;
Madame Chancellor
Hon. Chief Justice
[Hon. Justices]
Hon. Attorney-General and Minster of Legal Affairs
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Specially Invited Guests
Distinguished participants
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
May I first acknowledge with appreciation the opportunity to say a few words on this important occasion. My appreciation goes particularly to Dr. Edwin Carrington, the indefatigable Secretary General of CARICOM who has over the years, tirelessly exerted himself in pursuit of regional integration, cooperation and advancement.
This occasion is but yet another manifestation of this; for under his watch the project for which we meet here today will hopefully now come to fruition.
The work towards the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will move into a heightened state in 2003 with a series of activities. The first of these is a joint meeting of national co-ordinators for the establishment of the CCJ in Guyana on 12 January 2003.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] have signed an agreement which will provide US$300 000 to support the work towards the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The funds will come from the Government of Japan through its Human Resource Development Fund (JHRDF) channeled to the Community which is administered by the UNDP. Signing the Agreement were CARICOM's Deputy-Secretary-General, Dr Carla Barnett, UNDP's Deputy Resident Representative in Guyana, Mr.
Member States of the Caribbean Community that have not yet ratified the Agreement establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ ) were urged to do so with alacrity.
The call came from Prime Minister of Saint Lucia and CARICOM Head of Government with lead responsibility for Governance Dr. Kenny Anthony as he welcomed other CARICOM Heads of Government to Saint Lucia for a one-day summit examining the state of the economies of the countries of the Region.