The Caribbean Court of Justice has grown steadily over the past two decades, but its President says one thing has moved more slowly than expected: the number of member states joining the Court’s appellate jurisdiction.
Justice Winston Anderson made the observation on Wednesday as the CCJ opened its new judicial year in Saint Lucia, where the Court is sitting for the first time.
Guyana and Barbados joined the appellate jurisdiction at the Court’s inception, followed by Belize in 2010, Dominica in 2015 and Saint Lucia in 2023.
“The pace of accession to the appellate jurisdiction by other member states has not been as swift as we would have hoped,” Anderson said in his remarks.
Despite the slow pace of accession, he said the Court has continued to build its role across the region, with a focus on making justice more accessible, efficient and responsive.
Since its establishment, the CCJ has heard and determined more than 500 cases across its original and appellate jurisdictions.
Anderson said the Court has also been working to make its decisions easier for the public to follow, including through livestreamed hearings, judgment summaries, case briefing videos and other digital tools.
“As a court, I believe it is our duty to keep pace with the needs of the people and the communities we serve, and to improve the court user experience,” he said.
During the last judicial year, the CCJ delivered 17 judgments arising from appeals and special leave applications in its appellate jurisdiction, as well as two judgments in its original jurisdiction.
Anderson also disclosed that the registry has recorded a 40 per cent increase in filings before the Court.
He said the growing caseload means the CCJ will have to keep tightening its case management and judgment delivery processes.
For Saint Lucia, which joined the Court’s appellate jurisdiction in 2023, Anderson said there has also been a significant increase in the number of judgments issued when compared with the corresponding period under the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
For the CCJ President, the next stage is about deepening the Court’s reach and ensuring that the institution remains connected to the people it serves.
“We have spent the first two decades building the court. Now we must deepen its reach and strengthen its impact,” Anderson said.
