CCJ readiness quizzed
The new president of the Dominica Bar Association, Levi Peter, says he is not convinced that the Caribbean is ready for its own supreme court.

The Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice was established in 2001 to replace the London-based Privy Council as the final court of appeal for most Caricom member nations.

But only Barbados and Guyana have so far signed on to the CCJ’s civil and criminal jurisdiction.

Peter said he understood the argument that the region must be responsible for its own judiciary but his reservations remain.

Mottley forces leadership vote
The Opposition Leader in Barbados, Mia Mottley, is seeking to quash speculation about her position by forcing a leadership contest.

Mia Mottley pledged to put the vote to MPs of her Barbados Labour Party (BLP) at a meeting last night.

Mottley was chosen the first woman to lead the party when Owen Arthur stepped aside after a general election defeat in January last year.   But she has been dogged by suggestions that some colleagues would prefer Arthur, a three-time Prime Minister, to make a return.

Mottley told BLP supporters on Sunday that the party must be united if wants to win the next general election.

IMF cautions on tourism
The short-term outlook for Caribbean tourism doesn’t look good, according to the latest assessment from the International Monetary Fund.

The IMF report said the effects of the financial crisis on the Caribbean will likely persist into 2010 because tourism depends on employment conditions in advanced economies, which typically lag growth recovery.

In the 2001 recession, for example, declines in tourist arrivals to Mexico and the Caribbean followed increased in jobless  rates, which did not improve until 2003 despite an output recovery the year before. It said estimates of arrivals to the region, factoring in unemployment, suggest a regional decline of between 10-15%.