ContentsBackground............................................................................................................................1Statement of Position...............................................................................................................2Flaws of the Privy Council.......................................................................................................3Presides Over Appellate Cases Only........................................................................................3Accessibility.........................................................................................................................3Lack of Familiarity with Caribbean Dynamics..........................................................................4Sovereignty..........................................................................................................................5Cost.....................................................................................................................................5Benefits of the Caribbean Court of Justice...............................................................................6Knowledge of Caribbean Culture............................................................................................6Accessibility.........................................................................................................................6Sovereignty..........................................................................................................................7Cost.....................................................................................................................................7Can Preside Over Original and Appellate Cases........................................................................8Case Analysis..........................................................................................................................9Original Jurisdiction Cases.....................................................................................................9Appellate Jurisdiction Cases.................................................................................................11Conclusion............................................................................................................................13References.............................................................................................................................14
BackgroundOne of the main driving forces behind CARICOM’s first steps towards regionalintegration was the creation of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The CCJ wasestablished in 2004 in the Treaty of Chaguaramas with the notion of becoming the highestcourt of appeal to the Commonwealth Caribbean. The CCJ aims to settle disputes betweenCARICOM member states, foster development of jurisprudence, foster the process ofintegration, and develop its own legal identity.It serves as the highest court of appeal forBarbados, Belize, Dominica, and Guyana. Caribbean jurisprudence is promoted andreinforced by the CCJ through justice and interpretation of the laws.The court operates intwo jurisdictions, an original and appellate jurisdiction. The source of the CCJ’s financingcomes from a Trust Fund where each member state’s annual contribution is based on itspublic revenue..1
Statement of PositionThe Introduction of the Caribbean Court of Justice does in fact bring about significantchanges to the way justice is accessed by members of the Commonwealth Caribbean. Thisstatement is supported by the benefits derived by its existence. In the 21stcentury, the PrivyCouncil (PC) limits the progression made by now independent Caribbean states and acts as astain of colonial history.2
Flaws of the Privy CouncilPresides Over Appellate Cases OnlyOne of the problems with the Privy Council’s handling of cases from countries withinthe Commonwealth is that it only presides over appellate cases. This implies that cases areheard by the PC only after they have reached the final level of appeal having passed throughdifferent judiciaries of the member states, where the defendants may not be satisfied with thejudgements that have been reached.The PC functions as a court of appeal with very limitedjurisdictions and binds its rulings according to the precedent established by the House ofLords, presently known as the Supreme Court.Also, the PC according to article 8 of theCornell Law Journal, “has served as a viable and useful mechanism during the Caribbean’scolonial phase and during the infancy of the independent phase” (Maharajh).The PC has limited jurisdictions and it only functions as a court of appeal in a veryrestricted sense.The PC binds its rulings according to the precedent established by the Houseof Lords, presently known as the Supreme Court.The PC has played an important roleduring the Caribbean’s colonial phase and during the infancy of the independent phase.
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Term
Fall
Professor
A.MARSHALL
Tags
Caribbean Community, CARIBBEAN COURT OF JUSTICE
