Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)

The Revised Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice Trust Fund (the Revised Agreement) entered into force on Tuesday 27 January 2004 on signature by ten (10) of the CARICOM Member States. The States that have signed the Revised Agreement to date are Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica, both signatories to the original Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice Trust Fund, are expected to sign the Revised Agreement shortly.

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 planned inauguration of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) later this year moved one step closer with CARICOM Heads of Government signing four instruments relating to the establishment and operation of the court.

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.

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.

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.