tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-289275882024-03-14T03:30:40.433-05:00Caribbean Court of JusticeGENERAL INFORMATION, NEWS AND VIEWS ABOUT THE CARIBBEAN COURT OF JUSTICE (CCJ)Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.comBlogger327125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-6466918094429213332016-08-10T20:14:00.000-05:002016-08-10T20:14:13.735-05:00Belize’s Supreme Court Just Struck Down A Law That Made Homosexuality Illegal<h1 id="post-title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 36px; line-height: 38px; margin: 10px 0px;">
Belize’s Supreme Court Just Struck Down A Law That Made Homosexuality Illegal</h1>
<div class="description" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 11px;">
The country is the first former British colony in the Caribbean to strike down its colonial-era sodomy law, and it could boost LGBT rights throughout the region.</div>
<div class="description" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 11px;">
....</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 23px; padding: 16px 0px 12px;">
Caleb Orozco, the main plaintiff in the case, told BuzzFeed News in an email that the Supreme Court ruled in his favor on privacy grounds, as well as under protections of “dignity, equality, and freedom of expression.” He added that the court also decided that protections in the Belizean constitution surrounding sex extend to sexual orientation.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 23px; padding: 16px 0px 12px;">
Belize, a country of around 350,000 people on the Caribbean coast neighboring Mexico and Guatemala, has had the law in place since its days as a British colony. LGBT advocates are hopeful that the ruling could bolster efforts to eliminate similar laws in 10 other English-speaking countries in the Caribbean, which also have roots in their colonial past.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 23px; padding: 16px 0px 12px;">
The written judgement in the case was not immediately available.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 23px; padding: 16px 0px 12px;">
Another closely watched challenge in the region is in Jamaica, where attorney Maurice Tomlinson <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/jamaicas-law-criminalizing-homosexuality-challenged-in-supre" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0077ee; text-decoration: none;">brought suit</a> against the country’s law criminalizing homosexuality in December. Tomlinson has accused the country’s Supreme Court of <a href="https://76crimes.com/2016/07/11/jamaican-supreme-court-stacks-the-deck-against-lgbt-rights/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0077ee; text-decoration: none;">“stack[ing] the deck”</a> against his litigation by granting standing to conservative groups supporting the provision.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 23px; padding: 16px 0px 12px;">
Tomlinson recently won a <a href="https://76crimes.com/2016/06/13/lgbti-rights-important-legal-precedent-in-the-caribbean/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0077ee; text-decoration: none;">partial victory</a> in a separate suit challenging laws in Belize and the country of Trinidad and Tobago that barred gay people from entering the country. The Caribbean Court of Justice, which has jurisdiction over the countries in the Caribbean Community, held that the laws were discriminatory and therefore unenforceable. But the court dismissed the suit as unnecessary because the countries weren’t actually blocking anyone from entry under the provision.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 23px; padding: 16px 0px 12px;">
Speaking before the ruling on Belize’s homosexuality law was issued, Tomlinson told BuzzFeed News that a decision to strike down the provision could be “highly persuasive” to courts in other Caribbean nations where similar suits could be filed, and “the reasoning would be very important for my ongoing challenge to the Jamaican anti-sodomy law.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 23px; padding: 16px 0px 12px;">
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/belizes-supreme-court-just-struck-down-a-law-that-made-homos?utm_term=.ft2BBdeJbJ#.ee2qqAkVmV</div>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-46152446461166272842016-05-30T13:57:00.000-05:002016-05-30T13:57:18.370-05:00The CCJ: an example to Latin America | Sir Ronald Sanders<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="font-family: Arial; width: 98%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="title" style="color: #000033; font-weight: bold;"><div class="field field-name-field-dateline field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix" style="background-color: white; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #444444; display: inline; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1;">
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">BY: </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">SIR RONALD SANDERS</span></div>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="background-color: white; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="field-items" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Two events at the Organisation of American States (OAS) in recent months have underscored the soundness of the system by which the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is financed.</span></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">It is a tribute to Caribbean creativity and innovation that the CCJ is one of the few Courts in the world that does not depend on government contributions to function. The example that the CCJ represents should be replicated elsewhere, and the people of the 14-nation Caribbean Community countries should take pride in the inventiveness of Caribbean minds in structuring the funding of the Court.</span></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">The two events at the OAS that highlighted the reliability of the mechanism for funding the CCJ are related to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights. Both organisations declared that they are strapped for cash and desperately need contributions from the 34-member states of the OAS to continue their functions. </span></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">The two bodies are important. They are dedicated to the protection of human rights within the Inter-American system. Eminent Caribbean jurists have served on the Commission where they have advanced causes to combat scourges such as racism and discrimination.</span></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">But, the Commission - set up by the OAS in 1959 — released a statement earlier this week in which it said things are so bad that mass layoffs and cancelled visits are imminent and inevitable, unless member countries provide emergency donations.</span></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Remarkably, it was donors from European countries, not Latin American and Caribbean nations, that have been keeping the Commission alive through donations. The President of the Commission, James Cavallaro, said the crisis was sparked by these European donors cutting back because of the influx of refugees from Syria and elsewhere.</span></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">According to Mr Cavallaro, the withdrawal of European money has exposed the reluctance of Latin American and Caribbean governments to come up with the cash that the commission needs. In a caustic but frank comment, he said, “Some countries feel uncomfortable when the Commission highlights the challenges the region faces in human rights. They strangle us financially, perhaps in order to stop us fulfilling our mandate.”</span></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">At a meeting of the Permanent Council of the OAS on 25 May only Panama, Costa Rica and Antigua and Barbuda offered to make immediate donations to the Commission. In the case of Antigua and Barbuda, I explained that Antigua and Barbuda greatly values the work of the Commission. I recalled the contribution made by my colleague, Sir Clare Roberts, when he served as a Commissioner, in ensuring that the rights of black people were specifically accepted as part of the Commission’s mandate as well as the obligation to tackle racism.</span></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">I made the point that the reason that the Antigua and Barbuda government could not be more generous to the Commission is that, as a small state, we are marginalised by bigger and more powerful nations that deny us access to concessional financing for development; unfairly attack our financial services sector; treat us in world trade on the same terms as large countries such as the US, Canada, India and South Africa; and refuse to provide us adequate and affordable financing to combat the effects of Climate Change of which we are an innocent victim. Despite our own struggling circumstances, we made a voluntary contribution to the Commission as an example to other larger and richer countries of the importance of upholding and protecting human rights. </span></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">But, some Latin American governments dislike both the Commission and the Court, accusing them of being “political”. Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, for instance, has dismissed criticism of his government’s legal pursuit of opposition leaders and general human rights record. Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa has also accused the body of “exceeding its authority” in its criticism of harassment of critical journalists who have criticised his regime.</span></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">In the last two decades, the Commission has made ongoing efforts with the OAS Member States to secure a budget that would enable it to work effectively to fulfil its mandate. As a result of these efforts, the OAS General Assembly has approved a number of resolutions expressing a commitment to address the situation; however, these have not been reflected in a significant increase in resources. This situation is not surprising given the financial state of the OAS itself. Two of its largest member states are severely in arrears in their contributions to the Organisation and they vigorously resist any attempt to impose sanctions for non-payment. Indeed, the OAS is operating on a fictional budget that cannot realistically meet its costs of operation.</span></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">In political organisations a financial crisis, while not sustainable, is bearable for a time. Not so with Courts and Commissions that are charged with upholding human rights and protecting minorities and the vulnerable. Thousands of victims of human rights violations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean would be left unprotected.</span></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">That is why the CCJ model should be adopted by the OAS in relation to both the Court and the Commission. The CCJ is funded through an independent Trust Fund which was established with US $100 million from initial contributions of the member states through loans from the Caribbean Development Bank. Since its establishment in 2001, the Court’s expenditures have been met by the Fund, allowing it to function without having to go cap in hand to governments, and maintaining its flow of work in delivering justice.</span></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">It is clear that some member governments of the OAS do not want an independent and functioning Court and Commission. It is up to others who believe in human rights and the rule of law to keep them from withering. The member states of the OAS that believe in democracy could do no better than to advance the adoption of the CCJ model for the Inter-American Court and the Inter-American Commission. In this, CARICOM has led the way – at least on sustainable funding.</span></div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
Source: http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/columns/caribbean-court-example-latin-america </div>
<div style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: 'New Century Schoolbook'; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(Sir Ronald Sanders is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organisation of American States. The views expressed are his own. Responses and previous commentaries:<a class="external-processed" href="http://www.sirronaldsanders.com/" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">www.sirronaldsanders.com</a>)</i></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="color: #4f4f4f; font-size: 12px;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-2535705519494244422016-03-21T07:43:00.003-05:002016-03-21T07:43:56.576-05:00Privy Council asked to declare its position on A&B’s move to the CCJ<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The key architect of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has called for an explanation by the Privy Council, as to why its justices have changed their position on allowing Commonwealth nations to access its court.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Sir David Simmons, who is also the former Attorney General and former Chief Justice of Barbados, made the call for the clarification after the President of the Judicial Committee of the <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Privy Council,</em> Lord <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">David Neuberger </em>announced last week that<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Antigua & Barbuda was welcome to stay with the judiciary</em>.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“The Privy Council has a duty to explain to the people of <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Antigua & Barbuda, how this position differs from that adopted by the first President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Lord Phillips in 2009,” Sir David stated.</em></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lord Neuberger said that the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) countries were welcome to stay with the judiciary, if they so desire and that plans were under way to assist these nations in accessing the court.</em></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lord Neuberger’s remarks were made in a pre-recorded interview, last week, during the Youth Forum education campaign — part of a three-month movement to adopt the CCJ as the island’s final court of appeal.</em></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But the UK judge’s comments were quite contradictory to those published by BBC Caribbean, in 2009, when </em>Lord Nicholas Phillips said Law Lords on the Privy Council were spending a ‘disproportionate’ amount of time on cases from former colonies, mostly in the Caribbean.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
He added that “in an ideal world” Commonwealth countries — including those in the Caribbean — would stop using the Privy Council and, instead, set up their own final courts of appeal.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
According to Sir David, what was more alarming is that the former UK judge had considered drafting Court of Appeal judges to take some of the pressure off their Supreme Court.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The former Barbados Chief Justice also said that the Privy Council’s claim of attempting to improve accessibility to its justice system is just a façade.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“They made an attempt two years ago to go up to the Bahamas – they did go up to the Bahamas – at great expense to the Bahamian Government, as an attempt to suggest that they were going to make justice more accessible to people from the region but they have not been back since because it was too costly for the Bahamian Government,” Sir David said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Sir David believes that Lord Phillips was sincere, in that judges had found themselves burdened by issues that “didn’t really resonate with them”.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
They are more concerned about being members of the European community, he added.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Source: Daily Observer, Antigua</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
http://antiguaobserver.com/privy-council-asked-to-declare-its-position-on-abs-move-to-the-ccj/</div>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-70023718846032448322016-03-18T20:14:00.002-05:002016-03-18T20:15:52.548-05:00Antigua-Barbuda prepares to join Guyana, others at Caribbean Court of Justice<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
<b>Source: Demarar Waves</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
Antigua and Barbuda appears poised to join Guyana and several other Caribbean Community (Caricom) member-states in having the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the final court of appeal.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
A three-month public education campaign was launched on Thursday in that twin-island nation as the government prepares to hold a referendum to determine whether to replace the London-based Privy Council as its apex court with the Trinidad-based CCJ.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
The campaign, which has bi-partisan support, will span three months on a budget which government said will exceed 2 million Eastern Caribbean dollars.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
While no date has been set, the government hopes to hold the referendum in June.Already using the CCJ as their final court of appeal are Guyana, Barbados, Belize and Dominica.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
Demonstrating a united front, Prime Minister Gaston Browne and Leader of the Opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) Baldwin Spencer who were both at the head table at the launch, urged the electorate to choose the CCJ, contending it will provide easier access to justice.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
Spencer noted that “true freedom” will only come when the country and region move from a position “where colonialism and imperialism controlled our decision making processes to a position where we are not only a free people, but we have to make sure we form a society in which our decision making processes are ours.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
Supporting Spencer, PM Browne made “a clarion call for all registered voters in Antigua and Barbuda to support this important institution of regional Governance and sovereignty.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
He said the current final appellate court “is clearly an outmoded colonial construct that was designed exclusively for the wealthy few and has failed to provide broad-based accessibility and dispensation of justice to the masses.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
Elaborating on Spencer’s point on access to justice, PM Browne said justice is not only delayed because of the remoteness of the Privy Council but, in many instances was denied because of inaccessibility associated with the prohibitively high costs.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
“Even today, justice is being denied to the majority of our people who find it cost-prohibitive to take their case to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council,” he said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
“Having the CCJ as an all-inclusive final appellate court, will cure this egregious injustice of exclusivity that has plagued us since 1834,” Browne said, while adding that the fact that the CCJ is an itinerant court (travelling court) will help offset costs for litigants.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
Former attorney general Justin Simon QC noted that between 2007 and 2014 about a dozen cases from Antigua and Barbuda were taken before the Privy Council, while over 30 cases were taken before the CCJ which was inaugurated in 2005 and which also serves as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised treaty of Chaguaramas.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
Simon said the statistics suggest there is a serious problem of a lack of access to justice as he pointed to two cases where litigants spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover legal expenses before the Privy Council.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
In a video message, Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque also expressed support from the proposed move, stressing it will “complete the country’s circle of independence.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
He said the court was set up with the highest levels of international standards and steps were taken, and remain in place to ensure there’s no political interference in the management and operations of the court.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
According to him, the CCJ is also staffed with some of the “highest intellectual minds” and “there’s no other court in the world as independent” as the CCJ since it is funded under a unique trust fund arrangement and does not have to rely on governments for money.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
Another point noted was that the judges are not appointed by the heads of government.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
CCJ President Sir Dennis Byron, who applauded the main opposition UPP and the ruling administration for dealing with this issue with “political maturity”, said there’s no evidence justifying public concern of political interference, while he highlighted that the “high quality” judgments of the court are readily available for public perusal.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
Explaining the system used to ensure the financial independence of the institution, he said, “The financial arrangements of the court included the establishment of a trust fund where member states invested US$100 million with the expectation that the interest of that investment would fund the court in perpetuity.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
Meanwhile, head of the education campaign mission, Ambassador Dr Clarence Henry said in order for the national referendum to be executed, elections rules must be drafted and that is currently being done by Dr Francis Alexis, a constitutional lawyer based in Grenada.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
“He has been provided with all necessary legislation from which draft rules for the referendum will be drawn, in consultation with the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission and there’s also a parliamentary process to be followed,” he reported.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
On Friday morning, there will be another session which will be led by youths. Henry said the aim is to ensure the public is sensitised adequately to participate in the referendum which requires a two-thirds favourable majority to allow for the move from the Privy Council to the CCJ.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 1em;">
Source: http://demerarawaves.com/2016/03/11/antigua-barbuda-prepares-to-join-guyana-others-at-caribbean-court-of-justice/</div>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-28120582564344935372016-03-18T20:09:00.000-05:002016-03-18T20:09:28.125-05:00UWI lecturer says CCJ is a conundrum<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<b>Source: St Lucia Times </b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
UWI lecturer, Doctor Hamid Ghany, has defined the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as a “conundrum”, asserting that Caribbean people are being asked to accept the court as the final court of appeal.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
However Ghany, who is a Senior Lecturer in Political Science, told the Times that the first President and Chief Justice of the CCJ, Michael de La Bastide and the current one, the Right Honorable Sir Dennis Byron both became members of the Privy Council in 2004.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
The UWI senior lecturer expressed the opinion that as a result, the convention has emerged of having the Chief Justice of the CCJ become a member of Her Majesty’s Privy Council, while at the same time the region is being urged to cut ties with the council.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
“As someone who has been involved in drafting two constitutions that’s set up the CCJ as the final court of appeal, I am not objecting to the transfer,” Ghany explained.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
The UWI lecturer said he was objecting to the manner in which the concept is being sold to the public.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
As far as he is concerned, the CCJ should be sold to the public as being a court that has a superior record of delivery and a certain level of efficiency of service.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
“It should not be sold to the public on an anti-colonial basis when you have persons who are members of Her Majesty’s Privy Council who have knighthoods in the same breath telling us we should end the colonial connection,” Ghany observed.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
He recalled having asked publicly for an explanation as to why the two lines of argument exist.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
Ghany has called on the CCJ to abandon the anti-colonial argument, which constitutes an “intellectual trap.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
“They need to advocate for the court on the basis that it can be more efficient and will serve the Caribbean more efficiently than the Privy Council does,” he declared.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
The UWI lecturer, who is Coordinator of the Constitutional Affairs and Parliamentary Studies Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, UWI St Augustine Campus, delivered a lecture last night at the UWI Open Campus here.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
Source: http://stluciatimes.com/2016/03/18/uwi-lecturer-says-ccj-conundrum#</div>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-41575720249724035882016-03-08T10:33:00.001-05:002016-03-08T10:34:13.056-05:00CCJ judge says criminal justice ‘broken’ in most Caribbean countries<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
A judge with the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) says he believes that the criminal justice system in most, if not all Caribbean countries, is “broken”.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Addressing the inaugural meeting of the Advisory Committee on Criminal Justice and Magisterial Reform, under the Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening (JURIST) Project, Justice Adrian Saunders said, “it would probably be a fair characterisation to say that in most, if not all of our states, today, the criminal justice system is broken.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Justice Saunders told the two-day meeting that in one CARICOM (Caribbean Community) state, recently, a man who had been in custody for nine years on a murder charge had his case dismissed before the judge, who found that he had no case to answer.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Nine years in custody; no case to answer,” Saunders emphasised, saying that in another case, a man had been charged with a fairly simple traffic offence and was adamant that he was not guilty.<br />
<br />
There is no dispute about the facts, Justice Saunders told the audience, adding that the only issue is the legal interpretation of a very small section of the traffic law in that country, which he did not identify.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“The man and his lawyer interprets that section one way and the police interpret it another way,” the judge said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
He said the case has been going on for over two years and throughout that time, the accused person and his lawyer has been spending two to three “entirely unproductive hours in court only to be told that they must return the following month”.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Justice Saunders gave a third example, saying that judges at the CCJ recently heard an appeal in a case in which a man has been found guilty of rape and had been sentenced to jail.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“He appealed all the way up to us (CCJ). When we examined the documents in the appeal, we discovered that although the man was still in custody, he really should have been released sometime before, because he had already served his sentence,” Justice Saunders said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Each of you must have your own examples because these are not uncommon things that happen throughout the region,” he told the gathering, which included judges, directors of pubic prosecution and other members of the judicial system from across CARICOM.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Frankly, viewed objectively, all of this amounts to an abuse of the people of the Caribbean, especially because it not only involves a massive wastage of time and resources, but it also implicates the liberty of the individual, in a context where there is very little accountability,” Saunders said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“Caribbean people deserve a whole lot better and it is incumbent upon those who work in the justice sector to work towards its improvement.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Justice Saunders, however, said that his comments are not to say that there are not valiant efforts being made at introducing very useful reform initiatives.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
He said reform initiatives are underway in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and other countries.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“But, it is also true to note that criminal justice reform is not an easy task. It is certainly not as easy to accomplish as civil justice reform,” he said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The Advisory Committee was established under the JURIST Project and is tasked with reviewing criminal justice and magisterial reform initiatives in the Caribbean and making recommendations for improving the quality of justice delivery and reducing delay in the criminal justice system.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The JURIST Project is a five-year regional Caribbean judicial reform initiative funded under an arrangement with the Government of Canada.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
It is being implemented on behalf of Global Affairs Canada and the Conference of the Heads of Judiciary of CARICOM, by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which was appointed by the Conference as its Regional Executing Agency (REA).</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The project is working with judiciaries in the region to support their own efforts to improve court administration and strengthen the ability of the courts and the judiciary to resolve cases efficiently and in a timely fashion.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Criminal Justice and Magisterial Reform falls under the project’s overarching goal of delay and backlog reduction in courts.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The project is currently being implemented in at least six countries but will be expanded to include other territories in the region.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Special attention will also be paid to building the capacity and skills of judges, court administrators and court personnel to deliver services that address the needs of women, men, girls and boys.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The Advisory Committee is comprised of a broad range of stakeholders from across the region and the criminal justice system including appellate and trial court judges, magistrates, Directors of Public Prosecutions, and a criminologist among others.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.998px; margin-bottom: 1.846em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Source: http://www.nycaribnews.com/latest-news/ccj-judge-says-criminal-justice-%E2%80%98broken%E2%80%99-most-c%E2%80%99bean-countries</div>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-58565860329821631232016-02-16T17:41:00.003-05:002016-02-16T17:47:47.038-05:00ABEC begins preparations for referendum on CCJ<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The Antigua & Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) said it is making preparations to facilitate the vote which will determine whether or not the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) replaces the Privy Council as the nation’s final court of appeal.<br />
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;">To replace the Privy Council with the CCJ, however, would require a constitutional change, which would have to be approved by voters in a referendum.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;">Said referendum is expected to be conducted later this year.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;">Chairman of ABEC, Nathaniel Paddy James said a constitutional expert from Grenada is currently drafting the rules for the referendum which will be conducted similarly to a general election.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;">There is a provision in the Referendum Act which allows for the making of rules by the minister, which is the prime minister,” James said. “They are being drafted and will be looked at and will eventually go to Parliament for ratification.”</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;">James said this is expected to be done in “short order”.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;">In the meantime, the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) will spearhead a public education campaign aimed at sensitising residents about the Trinidad-based CCJ.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;">Source:http://antiguaobserver.com/abec-begins-preparations-for-referendum-on-ccj/</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 23.8px;">Published February 15, 2016</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #535353; font-family: 'Open Sans', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="author" style="background-image: url("http://antiguaobserver.com/wp-content/themes/wt_metro/images/author.png"); background-position: 0% 2px; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: "open sans" , "tahoma" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23.8px; margin: 0px 14px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-6865165056734829512016-01-20T16:56:00.002-05:002016-01-20T16:56:39.093-05:00Public education programme on CCJ to start in March<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – The Consultative Committee spearheading preparations for a nation-wide public education and sensitization programme ahead of the referendum on whether Antigua and Barbuda should join the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) says the programme will be launched on March 10.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
Head of the Committee, Ambassador Dr Clarence Henry, says “work is in full gear” to ensure that the public education programme meets with the objective of informing citizens on the move by the government to move away from the London-based Privy Council, which serves as the island’s highest court.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
Henry said that invitations had been sent to Caribbean Community (CARICOM chairman and Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow, as well as the prime ministers of St Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada; the President of Guyana and Premier of Montserrat to attend and participate in the formal launch ceremony at which Prime Minister Gaston Browne will deliver the feature address.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
He said the Committee has also invited prominent Barbadian jurists Sir David Simmons, Sir Henry Forde and Richard Chetanham to participate in the public education campaign.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
“Plans also include visits to Barbuda for consultations with key groups including the Barbuda Council, the Barbuda representative, Arthur Nibbs, the leadership of the Barbuda People’s Movement, as well as church leaders. There will also be a Youth Forum specifically for the youth of Barbuda as well.”</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
Last Thursday, Governor General, Sir Rodney Williams, delivering the tradition Throne Speech at the start of a new parliament term, said that the government is committed to making the CCJ its highest Court.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
He said the issue should be a bipartisan affair, but warned that any attempt to politicize the process could derail plans to move ahead with the campaign.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
Henry who is also Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to CARICOM, said the Committee has “been busily putting together a draft public education campaign strategy that will seek to educate and inform the general public surrounding the CCJ and the Privy Council.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
“I wholeheartedly welcome this latest indication of the pending referendum. The government has stated its position and I can advise that we are in the advance stages of our planning for what will be an extensive all-embracing comprehensive public education exercise.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
“We will be education, informing, listening and sharing with all in the society; the electorates will be specially targeted; the private and public sectors, civil society, the Opposition, trade unions, and the Bar Association will be among the focus groups down for engagements which hopefully should run in earnest for approximately four months”, he said.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
Henry said the inaugural meeting of the Consultative Committee will take place shortly to discuss the draft campaign strategy as well as the other plans ahead of the referendum.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
“Already discussions have been held with the Chairman and other members of the Electoral Commission, several groups and potential partners who will be playing a key role in the public education process and management of the referendum.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
‘Our draft plan includes focus group discussions; town hall meetings; the establishment of a website in association with technicians within the Ministry of Telecommunications; engage all forms of media in a massive campaign as well as the publication of a magazine and flyers for distribution,” Henry said.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
He said the official launch, which is expected to be an all-day affair, will also include a public sector Forum.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
The CCJ was established in 2001 and while many of the Caribbean countries are signatories of the Original Jurisdiction of the Court, only Barbados, Dominica, Belize and Guyana are signatories to its Appellate Jurisdiction.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; margin-top: 20px;">
The CCJ also serves as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the 15-member grouping.</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px;"><br />Published in the Jamaica Observer, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6f6f6f; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 10.66px;">Tuesday, January 19, 2016</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px;"><br />Read more: <a href="http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/pfversion/Public-education-programme-on-CCJ-to-start-in-March#ixzz3xp9fDEHU" style="color: #003399; text-decoration: none;">http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/pfversion/Public-education-programme-on-CCJ-to-start-in-March#ixzz3xp9fDEHU</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span>Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-72773695301221243302016-01-13T11:43:00.000-05:002016-01-13T11:43:01.935-05:00More territories might join the CCJ this year<div id="BlogTitle" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Tahoma; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 5px;">
More territories might join the CCJ this year</div>
<div id="BlogContent" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Tahoma; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.8px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 10px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Dear Editor,</em></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px;">
We are in a new year and am certain before the end of December at least three more countries will abolish appeals to the Privy Council and accept the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the final court of appeal. Others will soon follow.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px;">
The CCJ was established on February 12, 2001, and inaugurated on April 16, 2005, and so far only four countries ‒ Guyana, Barbados, Belize and Dominica ‒ have severed ties with the London based Privy Council, and despite several promises and commitments by other governments there is an inordinate delay in the others coming on board. However, recent developments lead me to believe that Jamaica, St Lucia, and Grenada will soon become full-fledged members of the regional court.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px;">
Jamaica with a population of more than 2.5 million has recently passed three pieces of legislation, paving the way for such a move, and its Foreign Affairs Minister, AJ Nicholson, said there was no turning back.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px;">
He told lawmakers that there is no need for a referendum to decide the issue. He said, “Let us tear down this referendum wall.” He disclosed that none of the 41 countries that left the Privy Council and established their own courts had gone the referendum route.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px;">
St Lucia’s Prime Minister, Kenny Anthony, has always been an advocate for the regional court and so has Grenada Prime Minister, Keith Mitchell, and now that a legal opinion has been issued by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court that a referendum is not required for those two countries to rid themselves from the Privy Council, moves have been made in this regard.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px;">
Meanwhile the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, and leader of the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on constitutional reform for a bi-partisan approach. The MOU was signed in the presence of the President of the CCJ, Sir Denis Byron, who was Chief Justice of the ECSC.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px;">
The new Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Keith Rowley, is also in favour of the regional court since he questioned his predecessor, Kamla Persad Bissessar about why she only wanted to go half way ‒ abolishing appeals to the Privy Council in criminal matters alone.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px;">
Fourth term Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines is a strong advocate of the CCJ, but his attempt to join the court failed in a referendum. He might pursue it after he settles into his new term, and the St Kitts/ Nevis Prime Minister will also be encouraged to join.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Yours faithfully,</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Oscar Ramjeet</em></div>
</div>
<hr class="Divider" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-top-style: solid; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Tahoma; font-size: 14px; height: 1px; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: center; width: 954.391px;" />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Tahoma; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
Article from Stabroek News: <span dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">http://www.stabroeknews.com</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Tahoma; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.8px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Tahoma; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 23.8px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
URL to article: <strong dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">http://www.stabroeknews.com/2016/opinion/letters/01/12/territories-might-join-ccj-year/</strong></div>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-40946852359667661052016-01-13T11:39:00.000-05:002016-01-13T11:39:40.141-05:00Adjournments blamed for CCJ court delays<div style="background-color: white; font-family: helveticaneuebold; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
Adjournments blamed for court delays</div>
<div class="posted-by" style="background-color: white; font-family: helveticaneue, Arial; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 7px;">
<div class="author" style="color: #231f20; float: left; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<div style="line-height: 1.3; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
ANTOINETTE CONNELL, <span style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">antoinetteconnell@nationnews.com</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: helveticaneue, Arial; line-height: 1.4em; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 21px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: helveticaneue, Arial; line-height: 1.4em; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 21px;">
No case should be pending for ten years, and something must be done about the Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ) constant criticism of Barbados’ drawn-out justice system, says new High Court judge Pamela Beckles.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: helveticaneue, Arial; line-height: 1.4em; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 21px;">
She blamed the clogging of the system on judicial officers taking too long to give decisions, lack of police files and too many adjournments. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: helveticaneue, Arial; line-height: 1.4em; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 21px;">
“I have a problem with reserving decisions for too long because if you wait for so long, you can’t remember although you have your evidence book.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: helveticaneue, Arial; line-height: 1.4em; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 21px;">
“All of us are responsible for this delay – the judicial officer, the defence counsel, the accused. It is something we have to deal with. We have to do something about that criticism we keep getting from the Caribbean Court of Justice. There is no way no case should be in the system ten years; I don’t care what type of case it is.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: helveticaneue, Arial; line-height: 1.4em; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 21px;">
Please read the full story in today's Daily Nation, or in the <a href="http://commerce.nationnews.com/" style="color: #bc283f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><strong style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">eNATION</strong></a> edition.</div>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-27445891354592545652016-01-11T11:31:00.000-05:002016-01-11T11:31:30.449-05:00New CARICOM Chair, PM Dean Barrow shares plan<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.4px; margin-bottom: 14px; text-align: justify;">
By Ingrid Fernandez, Staff Reporter</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.4px; margin-bottom: 14px; text-align: justify;">
Prime Minister Dean Barrow took over the chairmanship of CARICOM this week, emphasizing on the major issues facing the Caribbean in the year to come.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.4px; margin-bottom: 14px; text-align: justify;">
Barrow expressed optimistism over the prospects the Caribbean has, amidst the economic crisis most Caribbean countries face. He stated the economic challenges might be “the sternest economic test that our member states have had to face in recent memory.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.4px; margin-bottom: 14px; text-align: justify;">
He noted that elevating the standard of living of member states’ civilians has been a challenge for the region, as most countries have faced an increase in foreign debt and poverty this year.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.4px; margin-bottom: 14px; text-align: justify;">
Under his leadership, Barrow, hopes the Caribbean will build economic, environmental, social and technological resilience to foster sustainable development.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.4px; margin-bottom: 14px; text-align: justify;">
The Prime Minister’s priority is on the issue of consolidation and he expressed hope that during his year of leadership, the arrangements made for Caribbean unity will be revised with the hope of making them more effective. Regional unity continues as a resounding message for Caribbean leaders.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.4px; margin-bottom: 14px; text-align: justify;">
Barrow highlighted the achievements the region enjoyed, making reference to the success of the Caribbean’s input at the COP21 and other achievements over the past years. He said these are benchmarks in keeping together as a region.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.4px; margin-bottom: 14px; text-align: justify;">
The leader of the country also mentioned the importance of the Caribbean Court of Justice, especially to shape identity and regional unity. He says he believes that having a regional appellate reflects on the level of intellectuality in the Caribbean and the region’s ability to manage its own affairs.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.4px; margin-bottom: 14px; text-align: justify;">
Crime, Barrow stated, is one of the worst social ailments prevalent in the Caribbean. He assures that this year, the member states will implement new forms of dealing with crime, especially focusing on grassroots movements.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.4px; margin-bottom: 14px; text-align: justify;">
Barrow acknowledged the Prime Minister of Barbados, Freundel Stuart’s guidance over the past year and resolved to continue strengthening Caribbean integration under his one year leadership.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.4px; margin-bottom: 14px; text-align: justify;">
Source: http://www.reporter.bz/general/new-caricom-chair-pm-dean-barrow-shares-plan/</div>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-566635699167689712015-11-17T07:01:00.001-05:002015-11-17T07:09:36.612-05:00Senator Falconer Proposes Live Broadcasts of CCJ Hearings - Jamaica Information Service<a href="http://jis.gov.jm/senator-falconer-proposes-live-broadcasts-of-ccj-hearings/">Senator Falconer Proposes Live Broadcasts of CCJ Hearings - Jamaica Information Service</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em;">Minister with responsibility for Information, Senator the Hon. Sandrea Falconer, is proposing that live broadcasts or streaming of appeals be considered for use at the Caribbean Court of Justice.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em;">This, she said, is in order to “widen and deepen the understanding of the workings of the CCJ.” </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #353535; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #353535; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em;">Senator Falconer was making her contribution to the debate on the three Bills to establish the CCJ as Jamaica’s final appellate body in the Senate, on November 13.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #353535; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #353535; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em;">Through these Bills, it is the intention of the Government to separate Jamaica from the Judicial Committee of the United Kingdom (UK) Privy Council, and to become part of the CCJ in its Appellate Jurisdiction.</span><br />
<div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #353535; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.57143em; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">Minister Falconer argued that acceding to the CCJ will afford all Jamaicans an equal opportunity for justice. She lamented that access to the Privy Council has been elusive for many Jamaicans, mainly due to the prohibitive costs associated with taking a case to that body.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">“It is really the rich, private citizen or the relatively well off private businesses or those appealing death penalty decisions who receive pro bono help from local and English Counsel who can access the Privy Council,” she said.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">Senator Falconer said that in her estimation, the cost of travel and accommodation for the CCJ is about 76 per cent less than that of the Privy Council and the cost of filing documents at the CCJ is 98 per cent less than that of the Privy Council.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">The Minister noted that the CCJ is already utilising audio and video conferencing facilities to conduct hearings, so that litigants and their counsel are spared the financial burden of appearing physically in Trinidad, where the court is housed.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">“I place considerable weight on arrangements that put ordinary people on the right side of the digital divide and importantly on the right side of the justice system,” the Minister stressed.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">She further argued that a final appellate body from, and for the region will be particularly sensitive to the realities of the Caribbean and will properly reflect the status of Caribbean countries as sovereign nations.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">The Minister noted as well that Caribbean judges have unquestionable knowledge of the nuances of the region’s cultures, philosophies and social constructs.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">“My faith in supporting the three Bills which seek to make the CCJ Jamaica’s final appellate court, rests in the certain knowledge that regional judges are erudite and of unquestionable integrity and legal experience,” she said.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">The Minister said that based on its track record, there is no doubt that the CCJ will effect positive change in the social order of the Jamaican society by delivering justice which is accessible, visible, efficient and reflective of the country’s values and mores.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">“The CCJ is our clear and present opportunity to build our own jurisprudence, framed by our own historical and social experiences and reflective of our values as a people who subscribe to the rule of law. We are at the cusp of another dimension of the fulfilment of our sovereignty. Let us rise to the occasion and complete the task of Jamaica’s accession of that appellate jurisdiction of the CCJ,” she said.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">Bills being debated are the Constitution (Amendment) (Caribbean Court of Justice) Act 2015; the Judicature (Appellate Jurisdiction) Act, 2015, and the Caribbean Court of Justice Act, 2015.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">The CCJ Bills were debated and passed on May 12 in the House of Representatives, where the Government enjoys the two-thirds majority needed to have them passed. The Opposition voted against all three Bills.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">The CCJ was established on February 12, 2001 through an agreement signed by the Heads of Government of CARICOM at their 22</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 10.5px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">nd</span><span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"> meeting in Nassau. It has two jurisdictions: an appellate and original.</span></div>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-75086897472660172882015-04-13T06:12:00.004-05:002015-04-13T06:14:40.652-05:00CCJ celebrates 10th birthday<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px;">Trinidad and Tobago will in due course accept the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as this country’s final court of appeal, to replace the London-based Privy Council.</span></div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
This view was expressed by the CCJ’s President Sir Dennis Byron, who formed this expectation based on statements being made by local officials. The question now is the timing for this to become a reality.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Sir Dennis, 77, a Leeward Islands scholar born in St Kitts and an attorney for almost 50 years, during which time he has held prestigious positions as a regional and international jurist, scoffs at the opinion of those who say the CCJ is inferior to comparable legal institutions abroad.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Q: Sir Dennis, the Caribbean Court of Justice is observing its tenth anniversary this month. Exactly what is there to be celebrating about?</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
A: (In his Henry Street, Port-of-Spain, headquarters of the CCJ Wednesday morning) I think we have a lot to celebrate including the fact we are in existence for ten years and it’s a great opportunity to serve the citizens of our region.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
The court operates in two distinct jurisdictions: one is the original jurisdiction which deals with disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the Single Market and Economy Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. Secondly, final appeals from countries within the region. And during our existence we have done extensive work in both areas, 16 cases have been filed in the original jurisdiction.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
One of them, which we all can remember, which received a lot of public attention is the matter where the young lady from Jamaica brought proceedings against the government of Barbados and that case demonstrated the relevance of the CCJ.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Therefore you do have something to crow about? </div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
(A slight smile) Well, I don’t like to use that concept but the point is we have in fact done a lot of work, it has been well done and it has been received by the persons who have benefited from the adjudication of the court.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
In your 2011-2013 report you said words to the effect that one of the goals of the CCJ is to develop a strong regional jurisprudence system, yet there is this bugbear involving Trinidad and Tobago. Has that put a damper on your celebration?</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
(Decisively) No. I don’t think that Trinidad and Tobago is a bugbear (A heavy sigh). People have always been trying to get me to speak about what they call political will and I have tried to avoid that because …</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Yes and I suspect that it would not be prudent to do so...?</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
(Interjecting) Well, No. No. It is not that I cannot do it but I am just saying I don’t agree with the perceptions that have prompted those questions. As I see it…if you look at government as an institution, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has done a lot to support and develop the work of the CCJ.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
That is true Your Honour, but isn’t it a fact that Trinidad and Tobago is yet to make the CCJ our final court of appeal, with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar saying a few years ago this country was now willing to let the CCJ deal only with criminal matters from T&T?</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Yes.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Therefore isn’t it correct to say that Trinidad and Tobago is not yet fully on board?</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Well, you see again I do not like that language because in my opinion Trinidad and Tobago is fully on board with the court; it has signed the treaty establishing the court, it has paid up in full its financial contributions to the court’s operations.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
The court was set up on the basis that it would be completely independent of political interference and one critical area of independence is financial independence, so the CCJ does not have to depend on the monthly or annual subventions from any member government. Consequently, a unique form of financing was developed through a (US)$100 million trust fund which is funded through the interests derived from that money. Trinidad and Tobago’s contribution to that was just over 29 per cent, approximately (US)$29 million and they paid that in full.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
It is only one thing they have not done and that is abolish appeals to the Privy Council and establish the CCJ as its final appeal court.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
In your view Sir Dennis, wouldn’t it be a more acceptable proposition for Trinidad and Tobago to make the CCJ its absolutely final court of appeal?</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Of course. I think it is overdue. It would be better for Trinidad and Tobago, it would be better for the court. It would be better for the region as a whole if the vision of the founding fathers were fulfilled in this matter, so we are ready and willing to serve the community in this manner.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Your Honour, if my memory serves me right, I think the present T&T administration, when it was in the opposition, it came out against the CCJ complaining about its ethnic composition…?</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Well the CCJ has a component of seven judges, the President and six others and the qualifications for being selected as a judge are very clearly spelt out. In making appointments the Regional Judicial and Legal Service Commission can only appoint </div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
people who apply to become judges and then those persons go through a competitive process. </div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
The criteria that is utilised is high moral character, intellect, analytical ability, sound judgement, integrity and understanding of people and the society.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Obviously, legal knowledge is a critical part of that and these are the factors that are utilised to ensure that the best candidates are selected.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Now, you have raised the issue of diversity here because that is what is really being said: that a court should somehow or other reflect persons that it represents and we all agree that that is desirable. Our court, however, cannot function on the basis of a quota system where you say you must have this number of persons simply because of the numbers.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
But one has to trust that the issue of diversity is a factor which would be taken into account in the selection process.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Are you suggesting that a person of a certain ethnic background has not yet applied to be a judge of the CCJ?</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
(A somewhat perplexed expression) Well, I don’t know exactly what you expect me to say in response to that. If you look at the seven members of the court—you have an Englishman, a Dutchman, you have a Trinbagonian who is a woman of East Indian descent who is the most recently appointed judge, you have a judge from Jamaica, you have two from the Eastern Caribbean and one male judge from T&T. So I think you have quite a mixture which demonstrates that type of diversity of the court (which) is far superior to the diversity of courts from other countries.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Based on your interaction with the Trinidad and Tobago Government, perhaps even at the level of the Prime Minister, do you have any sort of indication about how soon this country would come on board fully?</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Well, you use that word indication, I cannot speak to that, but what I can say is that expectation and I do think it is likely that T&T is ready to go forward. I have heard the Prime Minister saying that it is inevitable in this regard, the question really is when is the right time to do it.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
And I further believe that her readiness to come on board would most likely be influenced by statements from significant constituencies in the country. The most important in this context is the Law Association and I felt really gratified when the new president of the association said last year T&T was now firmly committed to ensure that the CCJ became the final appellate of Trinidad and Tobago.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Your Honour where do you see the CCJ in the next ten years?</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
In the next ten years the CCJ will be firmly entrenched as the final appeal court for all countries of Caricom and in fact it is quite interesting, we have already received indications that courts which are not within the Commonwealth are making enquiries asking us what is the process of making the CCJ their final court of appeal.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Finally Sir Dennis, how do you view the dispensing of justice by the CCJ in comparison to that of let’s say the Privy Council?</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
There are many answers to that question and the one that is most relevant at the moment has to do with the opportunity for access to justice. Take, for example, the court of appeal in Trinidad and Tobago gives many judgements each year and very few appeals are made to the Privy Council. </div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
That could mean two things: litigants are satisfied and they do not want to appeal. It could also mean that if they want to appeal it is too expensive and complicated to do so...which is it?</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
If it is the latter, having the CCJ gives the citizens an opportunity to get access to justice in Trinidad and Tobago in that regard and that’s the experience we have had in the countries where the Privy Council is the final court of appeal.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px;">Source: http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-04-11/ccj-celebrates-10th-birthday</span><br />
<div class="field-label" style="color: #999999; float: left; font-family: Arial, Georgia; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
Published: </div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Georgia; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; letter-spacing: 0.479999989271164px;">Sunday, April 12, 2015</span> </span></div>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-9731637277114875332014-10-16T08:22:00.001-05:002014-10-16T08:22:31.668-05:00CCJ to protect traders of goods and services - News - JamaicaObserver.com<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/CCJ-to-protect-traders-of-goods-and-services-_17665458">CCJ to protect traders of goods and services</a><a href="http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/CCJ-to-protect-traders-of-goods-and-services-_17665458"> - News - JamaicaObserver.com</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">KINGSTON, Jamaica — Traders of goods and services will have protection from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), under the Caricom Regional Integration Electronic Public Procurement System, being developed across the region.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">According to Ivor Carryl, programme manager for the Caricom Single Market and Economy at the Caricom Secretariat, a regional public procurement notice board will be created for member states to post their contracts, and where any player feels that unfairness is involved in the award of the contracts, the CCJ can be called on to adjudicate.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">"In Article 7, which deals with non-discriminatory, equal treatment and fairness, all of your domestic laws and practices relating to Caricom, must mirror those provisions," he told JIS News in an interview.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">"If a Jamaican company under the protocol submits a bid, and for some reason he feels aggrieved that the process (the tender evaluation) didn't go right, he would have the right under the treaty to challenge the procuring entity, and ask them to explain why he did not win the bid; and he has the right to go to court and challenge the decision," the Caricom official added.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">Carryl explained that under the Regional Procurement Regime, the appeal mechanism has been strengthened, so persons will have easier access in seeking redress</div>Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-89260326677945267922014-10-16T08:16:00.001-05:002014-10-16T08:18:58.595-05:00Common Fisheries Policy for Caribbean approved as final policy <div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">BELIZE CITY - The Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), comprised of Ministers responsible for Agriculture from across the Caribbean Community, has confirmed the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy as a final policy document for the Community.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">The Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP) is aimed at fostering greater harmonisation across the Caribbean in the sustainable management and development of the region’s fisheries and aquaculture resources, with special emphasis on promoting the most efficient use of shared resources while aiming to improve food security and reduce poverty in the region.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has said that CARICOM policies, once authorized by COTED, are binding on the countries. At its meeting held in Suriname last Friday, 10 October 2014, COTED gave its stamp of approval to the CCCFP and said that the newly authorized policy should be applied by Member States as far as possible. The formal signing of the CCCFP by member countries is expected to commence in the months ahead.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">The recommendation to COTED came out of the 5th Special Meeting of the CRFM's Ministerial Council, held on Thursday, 9 October 2014, in Paramaribo, Suriname, coinciding with Caribbean Week of Agriculture. On that occasion, the CRFM’s Executive Director, Milton Haughton, presented a paper on First CARICOM Strategic Plan (2015 – 2019). The CARICOM Sec</span> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">retariat and all other CARICOM Institutions along with the CARICOM countries will all be following a single plan for the first time following its approval by the Heads of Government in July 2014.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;">Strengthening Fisheries cooperation with French Caribbean</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Apart from its endorsement of the CCCFP as a final policy document, COTED also endorsed the decision arising out of the 5th Special Meeting of the CRFM Ministerial Council, held the day before the COTED meeting, to strengthen cooperation between CARICOM/CRFM States and the French Départements Outre-Mer (DOMs) in the Caribbean, particularly Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Since 2011, CRFM States have been discussing ways of improving cooperation with the French territories in the Caribbean, when the issue was discussed within the context of strengthening management and conservation of the Eastern Caribbean flyingfish fishery and combating IUU fishing in the region.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">The initiative comes at a time when the CRFM has adopted the first regionally approved management plan for flyingfish, a known shared species that is harvested by up to seven countries in the Eastern Caribbean: six CARICOM States and Martinique. The flyingfish plan was approved by the CRFM in May 2014 and closer cooperation with the French will support its successful implementation and provide opportunities for further dialogue and collaboration on other challenges facing the fishing industry of the countries concerned.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;">Curaçao applies to join the CRFM</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">On 17 April 2014, Curaçao submitted its application for Associate Membership in the CRFM. The Ministerial Council, acting on the recommendation of the Executive Committee, supports the application of Curaçao to join the CRFM as an Associate Member.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Consequently, the Ministerial Council has authorized the CRFM Secretariat to commence the process of negotiating an Association Agreement with Curaçao, which should be finalized and ready for signature for the 9th Meeting of the Ministerial Council slated for April/May 2015.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">The Ministerial Council is empowered to admit any State or Territory of the Caribbean Region as an Associate Member, providing the Ministerial Council is satisfied that the State or Territory is able and willing to discharge its obligations.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;">Expanding knowledge sharing using ICT technologies</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Representatives of the CRFM countries and stakeholder organisations also discussed strategies for enhanced knowledge management and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for information sharing and cooperation in the fisheries sector as a way to improve the welfare and livelihood of fishers.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">The issue was discussed at both the Executive Committee meeting and at a one-day workshop made possible through the CTA-funded Knowledge Platform Project. The workshop reviewed materials and strategies being used for communication among fisheries professionals and stakeholders in the fishing industries across the region and considered ways of improving the effort. The workshop also sought to strengthen the use of ICT in fisheries and identified ways to promote sharing of information and technology for improving participation of stakeholders in policy development and the management of fisheries.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">CTA is the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation, a joint international institution of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the European Union (EU) which aims to improve food and nutritional security and encourage natural resource management in ACP countries.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">At its subsequent meeting, the Ministerial Council underscored the need for countries to use modern ICT tools to enhance policy dialogue and the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of programmes and activities within the fisheries sector. The Council expressed its support for the regional fisheries workshop on promoting blue growth, scheduled for 20 <span lang="EN-BZ" style="font-size: 10pt;">to </span>21 November 2014 in Grenada.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-BZ" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;">Update on Case 21 to tackle IUU fishing</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">In relation to developments in international fisheries law, the CRFM’s Ministerial Council welcomed the ongoing deliberations by the International Tribunal on the Laws of the Seas (ITLOS), to clarify international law on matters such as flag state responsibility and liability in the fight against <span lang="EN-BZ" style="font-size: 10pt;">Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (</span>IUU <span lang="EN-BZ" style="font-size: 10pt;">)</span> fishing.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Legal counsel for the CRFM, Professor Pieter Bekker of Dundee University, Scotland, had presented oral arguments to the full Tribunal of 21 Judges on 5 September 2014. Bekker's submission was well received and noted internationally.<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; text-align: start;">Source:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; text-align: start;">THE BAHAMAS WEEKLY</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<span class="article_title" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">Common Fisheries Policy for Caribbean approved as final policy</span><br />
<span style="text-align: start;">By CRFM Secretariat Communications</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">http://www.thebahamasweekly.com/publish/caribbean-news/Common_Fisheries_Policy_for_Caribbean_approved_as_final_policy37648.shtml</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: start;">Oct 15, 2014 </span>Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-17965458960639481222013-11-07T13:44:00.001-05:002013-11-07T13:44:59.071-05:00Caribbean Court of Justice president speaks on selection of judges<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<strong>BOSTON, United States, Wednesday October 9, 2013, CMC </strong>– </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Sir Dennis Byron, says a conscious and forthright statement of dedication to achieving diversity should be noted when the Trinidad-based regional court is considering the diversity of its judicial appointments.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
Addressing the International Bar Association (IBA) 2013 Conference here, Sir Dennis questioned how the CCJ, established in 2001 to replace the London-based Privy Council as the region’s highest court, takes into consideration the diversity of its judicial candidates.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“Complicating this question even more is the fact that it is unlikely that the pool of candidates, itself, will reflect the full diversity of the population. So, what should we do and what can we do?,” he asked as he addressed the topic “Considering Diversity: The Judicial Process for the CCJ and Beyond”.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
Sir Dennis who served as Vice Chair of the Judges’ Forum panel discussion on “Appointing Judges: diversity or simply the best?” said the judicial selection criteria contained within the agreement establishing the CCJ does not offer much assistance.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
He notes that in making appointments to the office of Judge, the agreement outlines issues such as high moral character, intellectual and analytical ability, sound judgment, integrity, and understanding of people and society.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“To be fair, the agreement does contemplate diversity, but only in the sense of intellectual diversity. It includes provisions requiring the inclusion of judges with expertise in international law and international trade law and allowing for candidates that have substantial judicial experience or academic experience in either common or civil law systems.”</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
He said even though the agreement does give some latitude to address the concept of diversity, the CCJ judicial qualification criteria are not an aberration in this regard, making reference to the Statute of the International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda that similarly focuses on merit and intellectual expertise.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
Sir Dennis said even the updated Statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia uses identical language, leaving diversity entirely out of the statutorily required characteristics.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
He said despite the fact that diversity is not listed in the selection criteria of the CCJ and other international tribunals, it does seem to be taken into consideration by those who are doing the selecting or the electing.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“While we cannot know the details of the discussion surrounding the appointment of the first panel of judges at the CCJ, we can see the result- a panel, of only seven judges but with differences including those of gender, colour, ethnicity, nationality, places of geographical origin, religion and background experience, Common Law and Civil Law.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“This difference between what is on paper and what actually transpires during the selection process seems to be quite common when we look at other courts,” he added.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
But he said he does not think that these informal practices and conventions as practiced by some international courts also are quite enough to address the issue of diversity and public perception. “Projecting a diverse and inclusive face – one that reflects to some degree the population that is served – should be a priority for every court. And I suggest that for the CCJ, a court that has been tasked with deepening regional integration, this is even more important and more urgent.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“We take this charge seriously, and we have strived to employ a regional work force, to represent the diversity of the region in the official languages of the Court, to sound like the region in the accents you hear on our phone system, to look like the region in the faces and flags you see on the website. I think it is time to make this same dedication to regional diversity explicit in our judicial selection process.”</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
Sir Dennis said while a quota system can never be appropriate for the CCJ, given the sheer range of diversity in the region, he believes “that a conscious and forthright statement of dedication to achieving diversity as part of achieving the best CCJ bench, would be an enormous step in the right direction.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“Of course one must vigorously maintain that the qualities of sound intellect, extensive learning in the law and good character cannot be minimised or sacrificed.”</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
But he told the international conference that diversity should not be a tie-breaker, as it is in the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute Resolution (2011), but a fundamental consideration in the selection of the Bench from the range of candidates who are up to the standards required of a judge of the relevant court.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“It should make the Bench as a composite, better than a mere aggregation of the individuals on it. It should not be portrayed as ‘diversity or merit’ or even ‘diversity and merit,’ but as ‘diversity as a vital component of merit.”</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
But he said that the solution comes at a price and cannot beautomatic or magical.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“It is not up to the court or its selection process alone. The price may involve an element of public service. No one can be appointed to the CCJ Bench who does not apply, and it is well known in the Caribbean, that the levels of remuneration at the highest levels of the legal profession exceed that of the Bench.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“Let us be honest and upfront about the role of diversity in the Caribbean region. I think it would do much to send a signal to the people of the region that while every religion, ethnicity, and nation cannot be represented simultaneously on the bench, we do pay attention to these things and they are taken into consideration openly and honestly in the development of Caribbean jurisprudence,” he told the conference.</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;"><br /><br />Read more: <a href="http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/1031923.html?print#ixzz2jzEvETA7" style="color: #003399;">http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/1031923.html?print#ixzz2jzEvETA7</a></span>Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-83226399704771204432013-11-07T13:41:00.001-05:002013-11-07T13:41:14.071-05:00Experts say Myrie ruling is a turning point for regional integration <div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<strong>BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Tuesday November 5, 2013, CMC </strong></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<strong><br /></strong></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
Almost a month after the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruled that Barbados had breached the rights of a Jamaican national when she sought entry into the country in 2011, regional stakeholders say the judgment represents a turning point for the regional integration movement.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
The CCJ was established in 2001 to replace the London-based Privy Council as the region’s final court, but while many Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries are signatories to its original jurisdiction, only Barbados, Guyana and Belize are signatories to the appellate jurisdiction of the court that also serves as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the integration movement.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
At a panel discussion at the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies earlier this week, panellists examined the implications of the CCJ ruling in the Shanique Myrie case in which Barbados was also ordered to pay BDS$75,000 (one BDS dollar = US$0.50 cents) in compensation.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
Myrie, who had been granted leave by the CCJ to file the action, alleged that when she travelled to Barbados on March 14, 2011 she was discriminated against because of her nationality, subjected to a body cavity search, detained overnight in a cell and deported to Jamaica the following day.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
Myrie also claimed that she was subjected to derogatory remarks by a Barbadian Immigration officer and asked the CCJ to determine the minimum standard of treatment applicable to CARICOM citizens moving around the region.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
Barbados Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite said that while the introduction of free movement within CARICOM though noble, it was not properly thought out.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
Highlighting Barbados's concerns, he said there were not enough structures in place to ensure free movement work and if the region doesn't get it right, there will be chaos.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“We're faced with a situation where we are concerned about whether or not we have the capacity not only to provide housing for all of our people but for those of us, those people from the region who we would love to come to live with us.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“But we can't invite people to come and live with us and then we have six and eight people living in a room, sharing one bathroom etc., (these) kind of stories you hear from time to time.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“We have the whole issue of education. We, to the best of my knowledge are about three secondary schools behind where we would like to be and probably three or four junior schools from where we would like to be. If we want to invite our brothers and sisters we want to ensure that they also have access to education,” he said.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
Brathwaite insisted there's nothing earth shattering about the Myrie judgement and that Bridgetown has already made moves to re-train its border personnel in keeping with the CCJ ruling.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
But he stressed that all member states must follow suit to make free movement a reality.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“What we were doing is that we were granting three months initial and then if you want an extension come back and give us a chance so we can get an idea in terms of what you are doing, what you are up to and if you needed the additional three months then they will give you the additional three months.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“All it means now from a particular perspective is that you want the six months and rather than having the mechanism where you need to come back to us, if we think there are issues we will go to you. It means that we will have to have some additional bodies on the ground immigration-wise but that's what happens in most countries.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“So that's why I said it is really not a major issue. What might be the major issue would be the fact that we really have to change psyche of many Immigration Officers across the region. I have been in St Kitts going into Nevis and been asked how come I am going into Nevis so often? I have been asked that. So it is not a case where it only happens in Barbados,” he added.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
But Dean at the UWI Faculty of Law, Dr David Berry, believes it is important Caribbean people are educated about their rights under the Treaty of Chaguaramas. He said the treaty does not in fact grant freedom of movement.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“It grants freedom of movement in Article 46 to CARICOM Skilled Nationals, certain categories of persons. So what the revised treaty does have is another provision which says towards the goal of free movement we will try to do these things.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“So Article 45 talks about a goal of free movement and Article 46 is of one instance of free movement. So the revised treaty itself, and this was argued before the court, does not give a full blown right of freedom of movement.”</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
He said the regional leaders at their conference in 2007 created in a sense a right of free movement. “They created an automatic right to enter and stay for six months subject to sufficiency of funds...you will not become a burden on the public purse and that you are not undesirable. So those are the two criteria.”</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
But Dr Tennyson Joseph, the head of the Department of Government, Sociology and Social Work at the university said the Myrie ruling has forced the region to rethink the concept of sovereignty.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
He said the region's current economic troubles have also led some governments to look inward, moving away from the vision of deeper integration articulated by the framers of the “Time for Action” report who laid the foundation for strengthening of CARICOM and the integration movement.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“Whether or not the rationale that they identified which forced them to ask for a revised treaty, has either deepened or diminished, I would say that the challenges are greater. But because the challenges are greater one of the tendencies is for us to become regionalist instead of xenophobic.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“Instead of redefining sovereignty towards more regional framework, we turn inwards. Hitler faced a similar issue in his time in the First World War period, where he was facing an economic crisis and you know which choice that he took.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“Sovereignty is malleable, that the nation of citizenship is malleable. Globalization has raised new questions about what is a citizen. What is a state and what sovereignty,” Joseph added.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
Another academic, Orlando Marville, the coordinator, Law, Governance and Society at the UWI said political leaders must do more to build a community.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
He said ordinary citizens were making integration a lived reality and it's time for the political directorate to speed up the process.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“Very often ordinary people sometimes appreciate the community that we have more than the political agents. We sometimes make promises or agree to things that they know that they are not going to do, until come back to bite them.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
“We have to have the sort of commonness that exist for instance among our musicians. I have been in Suriname and heard Surinamese sing bits of songs from Kross Fyah (in Barbados). Alison Hinds sings a song from Suriname as part of her thing and these musicians all believe in our community.</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;"><br /><br />Read more: <a href="http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/barbados_news/1082850.html?print#ixzz2jzDEWAKP" style="color: #003399;">http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/barbados_news/1082850.html?print#ixzz2jzDEWAKP</a></span>Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-14749213437845384432013-10-30T16:42:00.002-05:002013-10-30T16:42:26.226-05:00Myrie Case Cited As Good Example Of CCJ PerformanceSOURCE<br />
<dl class="article-info"><dd class="published">Published on Tuesday, 29 October 2013 13:34</dd><dd class="createdby">Written by Ken Richards</dd><dd class="hits">Hits: 481</dd></dl>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.winnfm.com/images/caribean%20court%20of%20justice.jpg" /><br />
St Kitts and Nevis (WINN):<br />
<br />
The Shanique Myrie case is being held up by one retired jurist as an example of “how well” the Caribbean Court of Justice is working.<br />
Former Chief Justice of the OECS Supreme Court, Sir Brian Alleyne, says critics of the CCJ should note that the results of the case speak volumes about the independence of the court and the professionalism of the Justices who sit on that court.<br />
Sir Brian says too often local courts are abused verbally because those concerned contend that rulings are made based on bias rather than on merit.<br />
He says these criticisms often go on to expand into suggestions that Caribbean states should keep the London-based Privy Council instead of signing up to the CCJ as their final appellate body.<br />
“The recent decision of the Myrie case in the Caribbean Court of Justice is a good example I think, of the independence of the court’” Sir Brian told WINN FM.<br />
“The court deciding in favour of the citizen over the interests of Barbados - to me that’s a very strong indication of the independence of the Court. I think judges are very aware of their responsibility and the traditions which govern the independence of the judiciary,” the retired justice said.<br />
Vincentian attorney Kay Bacchus Browne remains unconvinced however, that the CCJ is the way to go.<br />
Only three Caribbean countries: Barbados, Belize and Guyana, have the Caribbean Court as their final appellate jurisdiction to date.<br />
“I think that the courts are somehow too near to the political directorate, and they are appointed by the political directorate even thought it may be constituted in a different name,” the Vincentian lawyer said.<br />
<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Meanwhile the president of the St Kitts and Nevis Bar Association – Charles Wilkin QC, says he is concerned that some leading politicians in the region pay only lip service to the regional court. - </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">See more at: http://www.winnfm.com/news/local/6040-myrie-case-cited-as-good-example-of-ccj-performance#sthash.Irk97BWu.dpuf</span>Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-84278297147348753202013-10-30T14:19:00.001-05:002013-10-30T16:33:46.738-05:00JLP senator’s CCJ call dangerously frightening — Nicholson - News - JamaicaObserver.com<a href="http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/JLP-senator-s-CCJ-call-dangerously-frightening---Nicholson_15341865">JLP senator’s CCJ call dangerously frightening — Nicholson - News - JamaicaObserver.com</a><br />
<br />
<div id="story_title" style="color: #113f8f; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 25px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px;">
<span style="color: #6f6f6f; font-size: 10.66px;">Monday, October 28, 2013</span></div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 20px;">
</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 20px;">
LEADER of Government Business in the Senate, A J Nicholson has lashed Opposition Senator Alexander Williams for his call for the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to be deeply entrenched in the constitution.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 20px;">
Nicholson, in a letter to the editor yesterday, described the call as "dangerously frightening in the extreme", saying entrenchment in the constitution would require an unnecessary referendum costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 20px;">
</div>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; width: 365px;"><tbody>
<tr style="color: #363636; margin: 0px;"><td style="margin: 0px;"><div id="fadeshow1" style="background-color: black; height: 295px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 445px;">
<div class="gallerylayer" style="height: 295px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 445px; z-index: 999;">
</div>
<div class="gallerylayer" style="height: 295px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 445px; z-index: 1000;">
<img src="http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/assets/9957445/AJ-Nicholson-2.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" /></div>
<div class="fadeslidedescdiv" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11px; height: 38px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; position: absolute; top: 257px; visibility: visible; width: 445px; z-index: 1001;">
<div class="descpanelbg" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; height: 38px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0.7; padding: 4px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 437px;">
</div>
<div class="descpanelfg" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; height: 38px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 4px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 437px;">
<img class="close" src="http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/pfversion/x.png" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 7px; margin-left: 2px; width: 7px;" title="Hide Description" />NICHOLSON... where does Senator Williams' partisan political leaning take him? & WILLIAMS... calls for CCJ to be deeply entrenched in the constitution</div>
</div>
<img class="restore" src="http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/pfversion/restore.png" style="bottom: 0px; cursor: pointer; height: 11px; position: absolute; right: 0px; visibility: hidden; width: 10px; z-index: 1002;" title="Restore Description" /></div>
<div id="slideshowtoggler" style="filter: none !important; margin: 0px; text-align: center; width: 445px; zoom: normal !important;">
<a class="prev" href="http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/pfversion/JLP-senator-s-CCJ-call-dangerously-frightening---Nicholson_15341865#" style="color: #214a92; filter: none !important; opacity: 0.4; text-decoration: none; zoom: normal !important;"><img border="0" src="http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/left.png" style="filter: none !important; zoom: normal !important;" width="24" /></a> <span class="status" style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 50px;">1/1</span> <a class="next" href="http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/pfversion/JLP-senator-s-CCJ-call-dangerously-frightening---Nicholson_15341865#" style="color: #214a92; filter: none !important; opacity: 0.4; text-decoration: none; zoom: normal !important;"><img border="0" src="http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/images/right.png" style="filter: none !important; zoom: normal !important;" width="24" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 20px;">
Following is the full text of the letter:</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 20px;">
"As you can well imagine, for me, Senator Alexander Williams' pronouncement in the Senate on Friday last is dangerously frightening in the extreme.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 20px;">
"He admits up front that 'matters relating to the judiciary should not be exposed to the political hustings'."</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 20px;">
"The attorney/senator could hardly deny that, for that is the core reason why no former colony of Britain has established its final court of appeal to replace the Privy Council by means of a referendum, which, as Williams realises, is essentially a political exercise.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 20px;">
"But then, the partisan political clothing takes over. Come hell or high water, the JLP insists on a referendum, no matter what that might do to our judiciary.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 20px;">
"There is, of course, no requirement, on any score, of a referendum for Jamaica to have the CCJ as our final court of appeal, and for the court to be entrenched in our constitution. And the Privy Council itself has said so.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 20px;">
"So, where does Senator Williams' partisan political leaning take him? To an utterly new call for the CCJ to be DEEPLY ENTRENCHED in our constitution, which, constitutionally, requires a referendum for that to be accomplished.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 20px;">
"By that means, Senator Alexander Williams ('Smart Alec'?), brushing aside his premise of historical soundness, proceeds to declare: to hell with the Privy Council ruling, which was itself sought by the JLP; to hell with the hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars required for the holding of an unnecessary referendum, inter alia; we, the JLP Opposition, by any means necessary, insist on a referendum, even if voting for the Bills which are soon to come to the Senate will grant our people ready access to their final court -- a privilege denied to the vast majority of Jamaicans for centuries.</div>
<div id="story" style="color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 20px;">
"Oh, the pernicious power of partisan political practice!"</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px;"><br />
<br />
Read more: <a href="http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/pfversion/JLP-senator-s-CCJ-call-dangerously-frightening---Nicholson_15341865#ixzz2jEbninO5" style="color: #003399; text-decoration: none;">http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/pfversion/JLP-senator-s-CCJ-call-dangerously-frightening---Nicholson_15341865#ixzz2jEbninO5</a></span>Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-61099611912603437382013-10-04T13:29:00.001-05:002013-10-04T13:29:36.174-05:00CCJ ruling: Shanique Myrie to be awarded J$3.6m - News - Latest News - Jamaica Gleaner<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=48410#.Uk8I1pGJo3g.blogger">CCJ ruling: Shanique Myrie to be awarded J$3.6m - News - Latest News - Jamaica Gleaner</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px; margin-bottom: 10px;">KINGSTON, Jamaica: </b></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="margin-bottom: 10px;">The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has ruled that Jamaican Shanique Myrie be awarded a total of Bds$75,000 or $3.6m Jamaican dollars.</b> </div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The ruling by the six-member panel was delivered via a video conference in the Supreme Court. </div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The court declared that the Barbados government breached Myrie’s right to enter the country under article 5 of the revised treaty of Chaguaramas. </div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Myrie took the Barbados Government to the CCJ alleging that she was discriminated against because of her nationality when she arrived in Barbados on March 14, 2011. </div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The 25-year-old also claims she was subjected to a body-cavity search in unsanitary and demeaning conditions before being detained and deported the next day to Jamaica. </div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The Barbados Government denied the claims and argued at the hearing that the Jamaican woman had been untruthful to Immigration Department officials. </div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Its lawyers also contended that her testimony was contrary to what she had provided in statements to the Barbadian police. </div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Myrie wanted the CCJ to determine the minimum standard of treatment for CARICOM citizens moving within the region under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. </div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Myrie had asked the CCJ to award her almost US$500,000 in punitive damages for the treatment she received on her visit to Barbados. </div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">She also wanted the regional court to award costs and special damages. </div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="margin-bottom: 10px;">THE MYRIE CASE TIMELINE</b> </div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="margin-bottom: 10px;">March 14, 2011</b> – Myrie travels to Barbados and was deinied entry after reported inhumane cavity search. </div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="margin-bottom: 10px;">January 12, 2012 </b>– Application filed to Caribbean Court of Justice after Jamaican and Barbadian authorities failed to arrive at a settlement. </div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="margin-bottom: 10px;">February 17, 2012</b> – First case management hearing by video link from the Supreme Court to ensure all relevant documents were filed and the way the case should proceed. </div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="margin-bottom: 10px;">April 20, 2012 </b>– CCJ ruled that there was sufficient grounds for Myrie's case to be heard. </div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="margin-bottom: 10px;">September 27, 2012 </b>– Jamaican government given permission by the CCJ to intervene in the hearing. </div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="margin-bottom: 10px;">December 12, 2012 </b>- During a case management conference by video link at the Supreme Court a trial date was set for the hearing to start March 4, 2013 in Jamaica to reduce expenses for Myrie. </div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="margin-bottom: 10px;">March 4-6, 2013 </b>– CCJ sits at Jamaica Conference Centre, Kingston, Jamaica to hear Myrie's testimony. </div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="margin-bottom: 10px;">March 18 and 19, 2013</b> – case resumes in Barbados where the Barbadian government presented its case. </div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="margin-bottom: 10px;">April 8 and 9, 2013 </b>– Final hearing at which the lawyers made submissions before the CCJ at its Headquarters in Trinidad. </div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px;"><br />
</span></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.875px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="margin-bottom: 10px;">October 4, 2013 </b>– CCJ ruling handed down. </div></b>Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-9531653792606667082013-07-18T14:21:00.000-05:002013-07-18T14:21:18.063-05:00CCJ to hold sittings in Jamaica and Barbados for Shanique Myrie case<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><b>CCJ to hold sittings in Jamaica and Barbados for Shanique Myrie case</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><br /></span><strong>Source: Caribbean 360</strong></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<strong>PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Tuesday March 5, 2013 –</strong> The Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will hold its first ever sitting in Jamaica next week to hear evidence from witnesses in the case in which a Jamaican national has sued Barbados.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
Shanique Myrie, 25, who was granted leave by the CCJ to file the action, alleges that when she travelled to Barbados on March 14, 2011 she was discriminated against because of her nationality, subjected to a body cavity search, detained overnight in a cell and deported to Jamaica the following day.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
Myrie also claimed that she was subjected to derogatory remarks by a Barbadian Immigration officer at the Grantley Adams International Airport and is asking the CCJ to determine the minimum standard of treatment applicable to CARICOM citizens moving around the region.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
On September 27 last year, Jamaica was granted leave to intervene in the matter.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
Myrie, through her attorneys, informed the CCJ that she could not afford to bring her witnesses to Port- of-Spain for the hearing and therefore she was unable to adequately present her case to the Court.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
The CCJ said that it had explored the use of videoconferencing technology to take the evidence of the witnesses, but after consulting with attorneys it was decided that the evidence should be given in person and for this purpose the Court will sit in Jamaica to hear the evidence of the witnesses for the Claimant and the Intervener.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
The CCJ will sit at the Jamaica Conference Centre from Monday until Friday and will hear testimony from 10 witnesses. It said it is paying for the costs of the sitting which include airfare, accommodation and its other expense while the Jamaica government will provide security for the Court.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
The CCJ said it would also sit in Barbados from March 18 to 22 to hear the evidence of the witnesses of the Defendant.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">
The CCJ was established in 2011 to replace to London-based Privy Council as the region’s final court of appeal. It has both an original and appellate jurisdiction and also serves as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping including the CARICOM Single Market and Economy that allows for free movement of within the grouping.(CMC)</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;"><br /><br /></span>Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-62824787682288063782013-07-18T14:04:00.000-05:002013-07-18T14:14:16.982-05:00Jamaican Gay Man Takes Belize, Trinidad to Court Over Discriminatory Immigration Laws<br />
<table class="bodytext" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; width: 600px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Jamaican Gay Man Takes Belize, Trinidad to Court Over</b></div>
<b><div style="text-align: left;">
<b> Discriminatory Immigratiion Laws</b></div>
</b></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Wed, July 17, 2013</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">
<b>Source: Channel 7 Daily News</b></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Published : July 17, 2013</b></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">The country is waiting patiently for Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin to rule </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">on the UNIBAM challenge to Belize’s Sodomy Laws. Well, before that </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">decision is handed down, another of Belize's sexually discriminatory laws</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> is being challenged at the highest court in the land, the Caribbean Court </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">of Justice.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Viewers may remember, Maurice Tomlinson, the Jamaican Gay Activist who</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> turned down UNIBAM’s invitation to conduct sensitization sessions. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">He did that because he discovered that under <b><i>Section 5 of Belize’s </i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Immigration Act</i></b>, he would be breaking the laws to enter the country </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">to conduct this workshop.</span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
This section states that prohibited immigrants include, quote</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"Any prostitute or homosexual who may have been living </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
off or receiving proceeds of prostitution or homosexual behavior," end quote.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Tomlinson, who is married to a Canadian man, says that this law violates </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
his right to freedom of movement within the Caribbean Community.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Trinidad and Tobago is the only other member of CARICOM which</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
shares immigration laws similar to this one, and as a result, he has taken a</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
challenge to the CCJ – in Trinidad - forcing both countries to respond.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Tomlinson has been to Belize twice, and in both visits, Belizean authorities </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
did not enforce this law against him, so his home nation, Jamaica, has </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
decided to stay out of this issue because his rights have not actually been </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
violated.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
His matter was called up today and via teleconference and Government </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Representatives from both countries presented themselves for case</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
management.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Because Jamaica has refused to intervene as a state, Tomlinson’s attorney </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
notified the CCJ judges’ panel that they were making an application for </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
special leave to be heard as an individual.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
That’s important because this is what’s known as an original jurisdiction matter,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
and only states can usually be granted such access to the court.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Nontheless, there are exceptions and the court has scheduled this application</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
hearing for November 12. If Tomlinson can provide a strong case, the court </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
will grant him leave to bring his challenge to both countries’ immigration laws.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Deputy Solicitor General Nigel Hawke is the lead attorney representing the </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Government of Belize, along with other Crown Counsels from the office of the </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Solicitor General.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">We’ll keep following this story as it develops<b>.</b></span></div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-9166093062921015562013-05-19T11:53:00.000-05:002013-05-19T11:53:19.902-05:00<br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px;">
</div>
<h1 class="title" style="color: #024d76; font-size: 1.8em; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
The CCJ And The Death Penalty</h1>
<div class="date" style="color: #999999; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Georgia; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: auto;">
<div class="field-label" style="float: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
Published: </div>
<div class="field-items" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span class="date-display-single" content="2013-05-19T00:00:00-04:00" datatype="xsd:dateTime" property="dc:date" style="float: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sunday, May 19, 2013</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="authors" style="color: #024d76; display: inline-block; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 620.828125px;">
<div class="field-items" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<a datatype="" href="http://www.guardian.co.tt/category/byline-authors/dr-hamid-ghany" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style="color: #024d76; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" typeof="skos:Concept">DR HAMID GHANY</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
Source: Trinidad Guardian</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Last week in the Senate an interesting exchange took place between Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and some PNM senators during the period set aside for questions to ministers. The essence of the argument was that the Attorney General indicated that he could prepare a draft bill within 48 hours on the death penalty. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">He then challenged the PNM senators to state for the record whether they would be willing to support the abolition of appeals to the Privy Council on criminal matters only and to substitute the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the final court of appeal for criminal matters only. There was no response from the PNM senators on this point and so the issue ended in a stalemate. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">However, what emerged was that the Government is still committed to the idea of having the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council replaced by the CCJ as the final court of appeal for criminal matters, while simultaneously moving forward with an amendment to the Constitution to oust the jurisdiction of the court from challenging the constitutionality of the death penalty.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">In order to accomplish all of this, such legislation would require a three-fourths majority in the House and a two-thirds majority in the Senate. The last time that the capital punishment legislation was brought to the House, in February 2011, the Opposition PNM did not support it and the bill died at that stage.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The matter was recently revived by the Prime Minister when she indicated at a UNC Monday Night Forum in Barataria some weeks ago that she was prepared to bring that legislation back to Parliament. The Attorney General has now revived the earlier proposal for the substitution of criminal jurisdiction of the Privy Council with the CCJ. The heart of the story lies in the approach that has been adopted by the Privy Council over the years in respect of the death penalty in the Commonwealth Caribbean. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Since it was established that the death penalty is indeed a proper form of constitutional punishment in the case of <b><i>De Freitas v Benny (1976)AC 239 </i></b>where Michael de Freitas, also known as Michael Abdul Malik, had his death sentence confirmed on the ground that it was not “cruel and unusual punishment” to hang him for the murder of British socialite Gale Ann Benson at Christina Gardens in Arima, there have been twists and turns over the years. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Coming out of that same murder, Stanley Abbott had had his death sentence confirmed in the case of <b><i>Abbott v Attorney General (1979)1WLR 1342</i></b> where Lord Diplock set aside the issue of delay of execution measured in months, owing to the transition of T&T from monarchical to republican status in 1976. However, he left open the issue of delay of execution measured in years and that would prove to be a game-changer for the death-penalty debate in years to come.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">In 1982, the Privy Council divided three-two in favour of carrying out the death penalty in the Jamaican case of <b><i>Riley and Others v Attorney General (1982)35 WIR 279 </i></b>whereby the issue of delay of execution measured in years was not overcome by the human-rights issue of delay of execution rendering invalid the actual execution itself thereby making it “inhuman and degrading punishment.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Lords Diplock, Hailsham and Bridge were in the majority, while Lords Scarman and Brightman were in the minority. Some 11 years later, in the landmark case of <b><i>Pratt and Another v Attorney General of Jamaica (1993)43 WIR 340 </i></b>the Privy Council accepted the argument of delay of execution as rendering the death sentence unconstitutional if it is not carried out within five years of the sentencing date.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">By this time, Lords Diplock and Hailsham had left the bench and some less-conservative judges had been appointed to the British House of Lords as Law Lords. This ushered in an era of abolitionist judges as members of judicial panels who were prepared to adopt an approach that placed them at loggerheads with Commonwealth Caribbean governments on the issue of the death penalty.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Several cases were quite controversially decided that raised issues of whether this was “judicial politics” at work as opposed to the application of existing law. One of them was the <b><i>Guerra v Baptiste case (1996)1 AC 397</i></b> from T&T, which admonished the State for trying to carry out the execution of Lincoln Guerra too swiftly for the murder of Leslie Ann Girod and her baby in Wallerfield.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">By 2000, the Jamaican case of <b><i>Lewis v Attorney General (2001)2 AC 50</i></b> constructively abolished the death penalty in the region when the Privy Council held that the decisions of the Mercy Committee were now reviewable, which overturned the ruling in <i><b>De Freitas v Benny</b></i>, that states must now await the responses of international human-rights bodies on petitions of reprieve before carrying out executions, and that prison conditions must be taken into account.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.796875px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Other controversies have arisen over mandatory and discretionary sentencing. However, the death penalty remains in limbo, with the Privy Council precedents holding firm.</span></div>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-83878977881073700382013-04-22T14:33:00.003-05:002013-04-22T14:35:15.139-05:00<b class="Headline" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><i>Under Scrutiny</i>: Desist in the name of ‘sub judice’!</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b>Source: Barbados Avocate</b></span><br />
Published: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">4/22/2013</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">By Stephen Alleyne</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">During the Barbados leg of the <i>Shanique Myrie </i>hearing before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), a number of callers on the radio call-in programmes sought to discuss the evidence as it unfolded, only to be reminded by the hosts, and some callers, that the matter ‘was sub judice’, that is, under judicial consideration. The hosts, in other words, preferred they didn’t go there for fear that their stations could be cited for contempt of court since the matter was yet to be decided.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;">The sub judice rule was developed to regulate the publication of matters which are under consideration of a court; and, it has been suggested that a criminal matter is under the consideration of a judge from the time it becomes active, active here taking on a broad meaning. That is (1) once the accused is arrested, (2) a warrant has been issued for his arrest, (3) a summons has been issued for his attendance on an information, or (4) he has been charged. However, the better view is that expressed in (3) and (4) above and followed in </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">R v Duffy and Others, Ex parte Nash [1967] 2 QB 188: </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;">“[I]t is clear on the authorities that proceedings are pending in this sense from the time that a person is charged even though he has not been committed for trial.” </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;">Proceedings, according to the cases, cease to be active or are finally over “when the Court of Criminal Appeal (I’d say the final court of appeal, which in Barbados is the CCJ) has heard and determined the appeal, and after that time they are in no peril of being dealt with for contempt of court.” – </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">Delbert-Evans v Davies and Watson [1945] 2 All ER 167</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Not everything that is published about a matter that is sub judice offends the sub judice rule, however. Media practitioners know that a fair, accurate and contemporaneous report of proceedings in public before a court is protected by absolute privilege under the <i>Defamation Act</i>, Cap. 199. Trouble can surface, however, when the media impose their opinion on the facts of a case, and this is where they have to be extremely careful. In spite of the risk, the media must not be afraid to allow members of the public to have their say in proper cases. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">An article published in a newspaper or broadcast over air concerning a matter that is sub judice is only a contempt of court if in the circumstances existing at the time of publication the article was intended or calculated to prejudice the fair hearing of the proceedings. The media in the name of the sub judice rule must therefore not stifle public discussion in cases of significant public interest like the Myrie case. In determining how far they can go in giving their views and permitting public discussion on sub judice matters, the media must have regard to the nature or composition of the court. Judges, unlike juries, are trained to guard themselves against prejudicial comments and extraneous influences. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
Hence, it is difficult to envision what could be said in the media to influence or prejudice the decision of a panel of Court of Appeal or CCJ judges. </div>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So, this hard and fast policy of the media in not allowing callers or writers to discuss judicial matters of any kind is, I suspect, either originated out of ignorance or misadvice. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span>Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927588.post-53210630132663605762013-02-27T10:46:00.000-05:002013-02-27T10:46:11.770-05:00Caribbean Court Of Justice Upholds Pastor’s Conviction For Indecent Assault<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://news.caribseek.com/index.php/caribbean-islands-news/trinidad-and-tobago-news/item/38939-caribbean-court-of-justice-upholds-pastor%25E2%2580%2599s-conviction-for-indecent-assault&ct=ga&cad=CAcQAhgAIAEoATAAOABAjMy4iQVIAVgAYgJlbg&cd=GSOPsQCVnvI&usg=AFQjCNGyChK2JhN1S2eCW0mlrJpAlXAUpQ" style="background-color: white; color: #1111cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" target="_blank"><b>Caribbean Court Of Justice</b> Upholds Pastor's Conviction For <b>...</b></a><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Published in CaribSeek by Doneth Brown-Reid</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://news.caribseek.com/index.php/caribbean-islands-news/trinidad-and-tobago-news/item/38939-caribbean-court-of-justice-upholds-pastor%E2%80%99s-conviction-for-indecent-assault</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="itemIntroText" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 17px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 22px; text-align: justify;">
<div style="padding: 0px;">
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CCJ) -- Jippy Doyle, an evangelist, was convicted of the rape of a girl, then aged 13, and was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment. Doyle was the pastor of the Dominion Life Centre, Barbados where the girl and her mother were members.</div>
</div>
<div class="itemFullText" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(171, 182, 191); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 4px; text-align: justify;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
Doyle appealed to the Barbados Court of Appeal who ruled that the High Court judge was wrong to tell the jury that the girl was legally "incapable of giving her consent to sexual intercourse", and that if the jury found that Doyle had intercourse with her there would be no difficulty in finding that he committed rape. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
The Court of Appeal acquitted Doyle of rape and substituted the lesser offence of indecent assault. That was an offence which, on the facts proved, the jury could have found him guilty. The Court of Appeal sentenced the appellant to three years' imprisonment from the date of the original sentence in accordance with relevant sentencing guidelines in force in Barbados. Doyle applied for leave to appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice against both the verdict and the sentence issued by the Barbados Court of Appeal. The CCJ dismissed Doyle’s application for leave to appeal, stating that there was “no arguable case that the Court of Appeal was wrong”. In addition, the CCJ noted several flaws in Doyle’s application. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
The CCJ reiterated that generally, it will only intervene in criminal cases where a serious miscarriage of justice may have occurred in the lower court or where a point of law of public importance is raised and the applicant persuades the Court that if not overturned a questionable precedent might be recorded. Since Doyle’s Counsel did not provide specific evidence to support his allegations that the trial was unfair, the CCJ saw no reason to grant leave to appeal.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<em>This summary is intended to assist the Caribbean public in learning more about the work of the <a href="http://www.caribbeancourtofjustice.org/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; color: #008fc5; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">CCJ</a>. It is not a formal document of the Court. The judgment of the Court is the only <a href="http://chooseavirb.com/ccj/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/JUDGMENT-OF-JIPPY-DOYLE-v-THE-QUEEN-_FINAL_.pdf" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; color: #008fc5; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">authoritative document</a> and it can be downloaded below for further reading.</em></div>
</div>
<div class="clr" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">
</div>
<div class="itemAttachmentsBlock" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(171, 182, 191); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Download Related Document(s):</span><ul class="itemAttachments" style="list-style: circle; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-left: 40px; margin-right: 30px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://news.caribseek.com/index.php/caribbean-islands-news/trinidad-and-tobago-news/item/download/739_b0af79877c8aeed4f0f62d365c3b95fb" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; color: #224272; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" title="2013-0225-tt-ccj-judgement-jippy-doyle-the-queen-2011.pdf">Judgment Of The Court: Jippy Doyle vs. The Queen, 2011 -- Caribbean Court Of Justice.</a> <span style="font-weight: bold;">(3 Downloads)</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
Deidre Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03246819570272370014noreply@blogger.com0