The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) yesterday ruled in favour of the government of Trinidad and Tobago in a freedom of movement case, finding that in order for CARICOM citizens to exercise their rights, they must present a passport issued by a member state or a CARICOM passport as proof of their nationality.
This was the court’s finding in the case of Bain vs Trinidad, in which David Bain, a Grenadian-born United States (US) citizen, challenged Trinidad’s decision to deny him entry to the country, although he argued that as a Grenadian citizen, he was entitled to freedom of movement within the member states.
The CCJ found that the appropriate documentary evidence had not been presented, and as such, the claims against Trinidad and Tobago were dismissed, and the parties ordered to bear their own costs. A release from the CCJ explained that Bain, upon arrival in the country on December 14, 2017, presented himself as a US citizen, and produced only his US passport, as his Grenadian passport had expired years prior.
