Saint Lucia Welcomed as Newest Member of Caribbean Court of Justice
by Karen Rollins May 22, 2023
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the region’s final appellate court, has welcomed St Lucia as its newest full member.
In a recently issued statement, President of the Trinidad-based CCJ, Justice Adrian Saunders, acknowledged St Lucia’s decision to become the fifth CARICOM nation to join the CCJ after the country’s Governor General formally acceded to the CCJ’s jurisdiction.
Justice Saunders called the move a “defining step” and extended his “sincerest congratulations to the people of St Lucia on this momentous occasion”.
He added that “the CCJ looks forward to serving the people of Saint Lucia as we do all the states and people of the Caribbean Community and in particular, those of Guyana, Barbados, Belize and the Commonwealth of Dominica, whose final appeals we hear.”
The statement from the CCJ confirmed that its registry staff stands ready to assist St Lucian court officials, litigants, and counsel with using the CCJ’s electronic filing and case management portals to facilitate access to the court.
Guyana’s Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, told local media he “commends” the government and people of St Lucia for taking this important step. He added: “It augurs well for Caribbean jurisprudence, and it augurs well for the integration movement in the region.”
Speaking when the necessary amendment was made to St Lucia’s constitution in March 2023 and passed in Parliament, Prime Minister Phillip J. Pierre said: “The CCJ will make justice accessible to the people of St Lucia.”
The CCJ was established in 2011 to replace the London-based Privy Council.
