Heads of Judiciary from states that subscribe to the original and/or appellate jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) have expressed grave concern over a breach of confidentiality that resulted in the disclosure of internal communications.
Leaked internal emails from the CCJ, published by the Trinidad Express, show that five of the court’s six sitting judges have accused CCJ President Justice Winston Anderson of authoritarian and “dictatorial” leadership, panel manipulation and attempts to influence judicial decisions.
The concern from the Heads of Judiciary was raised in a joint statement issued by the Heads of Judiciary of Barbados, The Bahamas, Belize, Guyana, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, responding to the reports concerning internal correspondence and matters relating to the administration and functioning of the CCJ.
In the statement, the Heads of Judiciary said they did not consider it appropriate to comment on the merits of the statements or allegations attributed to individual judges, nor on matters arising within the Court’s internal deliberative or administrative processes.
They described the CCJ as occupying a position of profound importance within the regional judicial architecture, noting that it is the final court of appeal for states which have acceded to its appellate jurisdiction, and the court of original jurisdiction for most Caribbean Community states on matters involving the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. Its authority, they said, rests upon public confidence in the independence, impartiality, integrity and competence of its judges.
Despite the concerns raised, the Heads of Judiciary said they remained confident in the CCJ as a vital regional judicial institution and in the commitment of its judges to the principles underpinning the administration of justice throughout the Caribbean.
They reaffirmed their commitment to the independence of all regional judiciaries, the institutional integrity of the CCJ, and the enduring importance of maintaining public trust and confidence in the courts of the region.
