For the first time, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has held sittings in Saint Lucia, with the occasion also used to open the new judicial year.
Wednesday’s proceedings began with a procession to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, bringing together members of the local legal fraternity, government officials, Justices of the CCJ, and regional judiciary heads.
But beyond the ceremony, the opening also carried a message about how justice is delivered across the Caribbean.
During her remarks, Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Justice Price Findlay said the start of a judicial year should prompt courts to reflect on what is working, what is not, and how they can better serve the public.
“It is a chance to strategize approaches based on lessons learnt from previously faced challenges and to improve on the various successes gained by the court as it continues to build its regional legacy,” he said.
She pointed to a Caribbean that is changing quickly, whether through technology, economic shifts or evolving social needs. Those changes, she said, are also reshaping the legal environment in which the region’s courts operate.
At the same time, the public is paying closer attention to how well the justice system actually works for the people who depend on it.
“That is paralleled by the ever-increasing expectation of the Caribbean citizenry to have access to a court system that is timely, transparent and responsive in its operations,” she said.
The ceremonial opening came three years after Saint Lucia acceded to the CCJ in 2023, making the Court the country’s final court of appeal. The island joins Barbados, Belize, Guyana and Jamaica as a host of CCJ itinerant sittings.
