CCJ Urged To Restore Public Trust Amid Internal Conflict
Political Scientist Professor Hamid Ghany has weighed in on the controversy currently surrounding the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the region’s highest court.
Professor Ghany believes the matter must be resolved in a manner that restores public confidence and trust in the institution, underscoring the importance of preserving the court’s credibility and integrity.
The Caribbean Court of Justice is embroiled in a major internal conflict centred on allegations of panel fixing and judicial suppression, which has led to a leadership crisis.
While a dress code issue triggered the controversy, the leaking of judges’ private emails further escalated the matter.
Professor Ghany described the situation as one of « grave concern » and reiterated his opinion that the controversy has damaged public confidence and trust in the institution.
« The issue of leakage of further emails or anything like that will be damaging. So the judges and the Chief Justice really need to get together and work this out in a way that is going to telegraph to the public that we have settled our differences and you can trust our judgements, and we’re not involved in panel fixing, and we’re not involved in suppressing dissent in the court, and yes, we can have minority judgements and all of these things. »
The internal conflict over the dress code became public when CCJ President Justice Winston Anderson drafted a judicial dress code and submitted it to the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission in June.
« All of these things, these are issues that really ought to have been settled, and none of this ought to have gotten to where it reached. The Regional Judicial Legal Services Commission has a real task on its hands because it could investigate the judges, but it can’t investigate the Chief Justice. And I think that somebody has to decide on who investigates the Chief Justice and how this is going to be resolved. »
Professor Ghany outlined the actions he believes are necessary for the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to regain public confidence and trust, stressing that key questions remain over who will handle the matter involving the Chief Justice and the path forward in addressing the issue.
« They have to demonstrate that there has been real healing and that they have come to some kind of resolution of all these differences. And for it to be manifested in such a way that the public will trust whatever is being put on show. I mean if it is that they have not been able to resolve these differences, then you’re going to have more problems. »
The CCJ acts as an international court with exclusive authority to interpret and apply the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which applies to all 12 Caribbean Community Member States.
It also acts as the highest national court of appeal for Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, and St Lucia.
