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  • 10 months ago
The outgoing President of the Caribbean Court of Justice is distancing the court from any claims or perception of political interference.

This, as in the 20 years of the CCJ's existence, there was not the required special majority vote of elected MPs in this country needed to have it replace the Privy Council as this country's final court of appellate jurisdiction.

Juhel Browne reports.
Transcript
00:00This notion that, well, the CCJ might be good, but it's susceptible to political interference, is rubbish.
00:10Outgoing Caribbean Court of Justice President Adrian Saunders responding to a question from TV6 News while speaking with the media
00:17after the appointment of former International Criminal Court President Dr. Chile Ube Osuji at President's House in St. Anne's.
00:27The Caribbean Court of Justice, and I say this with all humility, but with surety, is unmatched in the world in its institutional architecture to secure independence.
00:40Our funding is the envy of courts throughout the world because we do not interface with any political directorate in order to secure our funds.
00:52Our judges are appointed, as I mentioned, by a transparent and merit-filled basis.
01:01Justice Saunders acknowledged those who question whether the CCJ should be the final court of appeal for CARICOM member states.
01:08That matter continues to be the subject of political debate in Trinidad and Tobago, even though the CCJ is located in Port of Spain.
01:17Malta has a population which is one-fifth of Jamaica's population.
01:25Nobody says of the Maltese judges that they're susceptible to political interference.
01:30Nobody says of Malta's judiciary that, oh, they should never have delinked from the Privy Council, which they were at one time associated with, because they are such a small country.
01:40Nobody says that of Maltese. Why do we say that of the Caribbean? Why do we say that of Caribbean judges?
01:47The CCJ is the final court of appeal for matters regarding the revised Treaty of Chakramas for CARICOM member states.
01:55Is Justice Saunders hopeful that it will also be Trinidad and Tobago's final court of appeal for what is called appellate jurisdiction sooner rather than later?
02:04Justice Saunders expressed no doubt this will occur in due course when the time is right.
02:11That is a decision for the government, the parliament, the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
02:18We are not fixated on that issue.
02:20We are a Caribbean court of justice and we cater for those countries that send their appeals to us.
02:29Five countries currently do so. We will be the best court we can be for those five countries.
02:36The Caribbean court of justice is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
02:41Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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