Carrington urges members to accept CCJ

Source: Nation News - Barbados

Published on: 12/12/2009.

CARICOM SECRETARY-GENERAL Dr Edwin Carrington has urged more members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to follow in the footsteps of Jamaica in accepting the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the final appellate court.

During a year-end review of CARICOM's accomplishments by the secretariat on Thursday with the regional media through a video conferencing session, Carrington said that Jamaica's decision to accept the CCJ was evidence of the strength of the regional integration process. Carrington said several member states abandoned the Privy Council decades ago, with sound jurisprudential success to show for the decision.

He expressed his confidence in the qualifications and integrity of the judicial bench of the CCJ, as well as in the existing mediums, claiming they now guaranteed the sustainability of the court.

The CCJ was created in 2005 as the supreme judicial organ for the CARICOM member states. In its original jurisdiction it ensured uniform interpretation and application of the Revised Treaty Of Chaguaramas, thereby underpinning and advancing the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.

As the final court of appeal it promotes the development of an indigenous Caribbean jurisprudence but although all 15 member states CARICOM have accepted the court in its original jurisdiction, only Barbados and Guyana have adopted it as their final court of appeal.