Dear Editor,
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) was extremely busy during the past months dealing with appeals mainly from Guyana. In fact the regional court heard three appeals from the Co-operative Republic arising out of the no confidence motion passed in the National Assembly in December 2018. The first issue dealt with was the appointment of the Chairman of the Elections Commission, the second was whether or not 33 is the majority of 65 and the third was in relation to jurisdiction. The Court swiftly dealt with the issues and as a result the populace is fully satisfied that the Port of Spain-based Court is much quicker and more effective than the London-based Privy Council. But it is not only speed that the CCJ is preferred for, but also costs since during the past months more than a dozen lawyers mainly Senior Counsel were engaged in the issues. Thanks to modern technology the presentations were made from both Port of Spain and Georgetown thus saving millions of dollars. The attorneys at these trials were from as far as Belize, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.
A new judge has joined the apex court, Mr. Peter Jamadar from the twin-island republic. One wonders if this will encourage Keith Rowley to join the appellate jurisdiction of the regional court. Kamla Persad-Bissessar the leader of the UNC when she was Prime Minister was thinking of going only half way to abolish only Criminal appeals, but Rowley at that time questioned why only half way. Meanwhile the country’s Chief Justice Ivor Archie said the delay in joining the appellate division of the CCJ is an embarrassment. The President of the Court, Adrian Saunders is disappointed that Trinidad and Tobago is reluctant to go on board. The CCJ actually has produced far more judgments for the four countries: Guyana, Barbados, Belize and Dominica that are on board in the appellate jurisdiction than the Privy Council has produced for the eight other states/countries that are still sending appeals to them.
The public had an opportunity of viewing and hearing the lawyers and judges in the recently concluded Guyana cases. Thanks to the modern and technical equipment provided by the Court, I have no doubt that the viewers and listeners were very impressed with President Adrian Saunders, and the other justices who delivered their judgments with speed and accuracy which would have taken the Privy Council months to deliver. I sincerely hope that Jamaicans, Trinidadians, Vincentians, Grenadians, St. Lucians, Antiguans, Grenadians and Kittitians, will take note and urge their leaders to go on board. These countries gained political independence several decades ago and it is high time that they cut the apron strings from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
Yours faithfully,
Oscar Ramjeet
