“We remain confident in CCJ as a vital regional judicial institution” – Regional Judiciary Heads

Heads of Judiciary from across the Caribbean have reaffirmed their confidence in the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), while expressing grave concern over the disclosure of what appear to be confidential internal communications among the Court’s judges.
The Heads of Judiciary of Barbados, The Bahamas, Belize, Guyana, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement on Tuesday after taking note of recent public reports concerning internal correspondence and matters relating to the administration and functioning of the CCJ.
The judicial leaders said they would not comment on the merits of statements or allegations attributed to individual judges, nor on matters arising from the Court’s internal deliberative or administrative processes.
However, they said they were concerned about the breach of confidentiality that resulted in the disclosure of what appear to be internal communications.
The Heads of Judiciary emphasised the importance of the CCJ within the region’s judicial architecture, noting that for countries which have acceded to its appellate jurisdiction, the Court serves as the final court of appeal.
For most Caribbean Community (Caricom) states, the CCJ also exercises original jurisdiction in matters involving the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which governs regional integration and the Caricom Single Market and Economy.
They said the Court’s authority, like that of all courts, depends on public confidence in the independence, impartiality, integrity and competence of its judges.
“We do not consider it appropriate to comment upon the merits of statements or allegations attributed to individual judges, nor upon matters arising within the internal deliberative or administrative processes of the Court,” the judicial heads said.
They nevertheless stressed that confidentiality within judicial institutions must be protected.
The statement comes one day after the Bar Council of the Bar Association of Guyana also raised concerns over reports of leaked internal correspondence among CCJ judges.
In a statement dated August 10, the Bar Council said the disclosure of confidential communications could undermine public confidence in the administration of justice.
The Council said robust discussions among judges are expected as part of the judicial process, but argued that any unauthorised disclosure of internal correspondence would constitute a serious breach of confidence.
It said it was not taking a position on the substance of the matters contained in the leaked communications.
The Bar Council also addressed the role of the CCJ President, saying the Court’s leader should be given sufficient latitude to develop and implement a vision for the institution and establish principles governing its administration, while exercising that leadership in accordance with the CCJ’s Code of Judicial Conduct.

Confidence in CCJ
The regional Heads of Judiciary, meanwhile, reaffirmed their confidence in the CCJ as a “vital regional judicial institution” and in the commitment of its judges to the principles underpinning the administration of justice across the Caribbean.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to the independence of regional judiciaries, the institutional integrity of the CCJ and the importance of maintaining public trust and confidence in the courts.