00:00Top of the news. President of the Caribbean Court of Justice is tonight mounting a detailed defense of his leadership
00:06of the regional court,
00:08rejecting allegations of panel fixing and attempts to influence judgments while acknowledging he may have handled one controversial issue too
00:17strongly.
00:18In a lengthy statement issued today, the president also condemns the leaking of confidential court material
00:24and announces a change to how CCJ panels will be constituted going forward.
00:31The president of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Justice Winston Anderson,
00:35says recent reports about the court have caused concern both within the institution and across the region.
00:42In a nine-page response to allegations first made public through a Sunday Express report by Mark Passant,
00:48Justice Winston Anderson begins his response with what he considers the most troubling issue.
00:53The disclosure of confidential court material.
00:56He wrote, quote,
00:58I condemn in the strongest possible terms the unauthorized disclosure and publication of confidential material relating to the internal deliberations
01:07and confidential correspondence of the court, end quote.
01:11He says the CCJ is the product of generations of Caribbean effort to establish a final regional court
01:18and argues that its institutional credibility must be protected.
01:22On concerns about his leadership style and consultation, the president points to several structures, he says,
01:29we establish to support decision-making.
01:31These include Executive Strategic Planning and Advisory Committee and the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee.
01:38He also cites regular meetings with judges, managers and staff, saying, quote,
01:43I do not refuse requests from my judges to discuss any matter affecting the court, end quote.
01:50But it is the dispute over judicial attire that led directly to one of the decisions now under scrutiny.
01:56The president says the CCJ had an established practice governing what judges wear when exercising their judicial functions.
02:04After a colleague appeared in traditional national dress during proceedings, the president says he raised his concerns privately.
02:12But the disagreement continued.
02:14The judge was subsequently removed from the panel hearing an interlocutory application in Dalmada v. Trinidad and Tobago.
02:22The president says the decision was specifically tied to the attire issue.
02:26But he acknowledges that his approach has been questioned, saying, quote,
02:30I understand and appreciate the view that I may have approached the matter of handling the issue of dress code
02:36too strongly, end quote.
02:38Justice Anderson maintains the issue was about institutional consistency and the appearance of the regional court.
02:44He says the matter subsequently moved into a broader discussion about whether national dress should be permitted on the CCJ
02:51bench
02:51and what that should mean in a diverse Caribbean.
02:54The president, Justice Anderson, says he has proposed consultation with the national courts on that question.
03:00But the allegation he most forcefully rejects is that the composition of CCJ panels has been manipulated to influence decisions.
03:09He said, quote, the allegation is wholly untrue, end quote.
03:14He says the president's administrative responsibility includes constituting panels
03:19and argues that this has always been exercised for the orderly administration of justice.
03:25He says the Dalmada panel change was unrelated to the merits of the case.
03:29And he points to what happened after the interlocutory meeting.
03:34Justice Anderson said, quote,
03:35All five judges unanimously agreed that leave ought properly to have been granted to permit this substantive matter to proceed,
03:43end quote.
03:43The president, Justice Anderson, is also setting out a new position on panel composition.
03:49He says, quote,
03:50Going forward, every judge of the court will be required to sit on every panel unless the judge opts out
03:56for a legitimate reason and is excused, end quote.
04:00The president also rejects claims that judges were directed or pressured into the preparation of judgments.
04:06He says, disagreement during judicial conferences is part of the work of an appellate court.
04:12And he points to the Mohammed matter as an example, saying, quote,
04:16There was complete unanimity among all seven judges as to the disposition of the appeal, end quote.
04:23He says judicial independence remains fundamental and that judges must be free to reach their own conclusions based on the
04:30law and evidence.
04:31Then there is the issue of Guyana.
04:33The president addresses criticism over his private discussions with Guyana's president and opposition leader,
04:39considering the country's long-running failure to make substantive appointments to the offices of chancellor and chief justice.
04:46He says the issue predates his presidency and has also been raised by his predecessors.
04:51But here, too, he concedes that his handling of the matter could have been different, right, end quote.
04:57Looking back, I recognize that another course would have been much better, end quote.
05:02Justice Anderson says he could have confined himself to public commentary on the constitutional importance of substantive judicial appointments.
05:09But he maintains that his intervention was motivated by concerns about judicial independence rather than politics or personal interest.
05:17The president also uses his nine-page statement to highlight the court's work since he assumed office in July 2025.
05:24He points to judgments delivered under both jurisdictions, regional integration work and changes to the court's administration and governance,
05:33saying that the accomplishments have not been achieved by the president acting alone.
05:37And as the controversy continues, President Justice Anderson ends with a commitment to the court's constitutional responsibilities, saying,
05:56The law association of Trinidad and Tobago endorses the investigation by the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission on the
06:05concerns raised in the private email exchanges between judges of the Caribbean Court of Justice.
06:11In a statement, Latt expresses confidence the inquiry will consider the views and concerns of all judges.
06:18The association rejects what it describes as opportunistic attempts to use the dispute to revive arguments against replacing the Privy
06:27Council with the CCJ.
06:29It says disagreements among judges at the highest appellate courts are not unusual and should not on their own be
06:36used to determine confidence in the Caribbean Court.
06:40Latt says reports that most CCJ judges objected to what they perceived as encroachment on their judicial independence could instead
06:49be viewed as evidence that the principle remains firmly upheld within the court.
06:54It says the inquiry should ultimately reaffirm the principle of judicial independence and establish clear guidelines governing the administrative powers
07:04of the CCJ president.
07:07That takes us to our people meter, we ask, should there be an investigation into the concerns raised in private
07:15email exchanges between judges of the Caribbean Court of Justice?
07:20Devote text yes or no to the number 766-4886 or 766-4TV6 and we'll have the results for you
07:27at the end of the newscast.
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