CCJ to be inaugurated April 16 in PoS

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will be inaugurated on April 16 in Port-of-Spain. The decision comes out of the 16th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Governments of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), in Suriname earlier this week. In a communique yesterday, the conference noted that with the majority of conditions completed, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) was now in a position to almost immediately release US$100 million to the Board of Trustees to the CCJ Trust Fund.

With respect to the Privy Council’s judgment on Jamaica, the conference approved for signature, two amending protocols: a protocol to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas including the Caribbean Single Market and Economy regarding the relationship between provisions on the original jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice and the constitution of states parties. The second is a protocol to the agreement establishing the CCJ, relating to the tenure of judges, rules of court, financial arrangements, as well as the relationship between provisions on the original jurisdiction of the CCJ and the constitution of states parties.

These protocols will allow member states to fulfil their international obligations in a manner, which does not infringe on their national constitutions. Also, pursuant to the Jamaican Privy Council ruling, the conference directed that an extended meeting of the Preparatory Committee be held in Jamaica within two weeks, where the Privy Council’s judgment would be analysed,  after which the deliberations, conclusions and recommendations would be forwarded to the heads.