BARBADIANS ARE appealing to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in significant numbers.
CCJ?president Sir Dennis Byron has pointed out that since the regional court’s formation cases from the Barbados Court of Appeal have been up by 350 per cent
This, he said, was partly because the cost of justice had been reduced when compared with what obtained with the British Privy Council.
Sir Dennis was the special guest yesterday morning on Starcom Network’s Brass Tacks Sunday radio programme. He told listeners the strengths of the CCJ had reduced the cost of appealing to a final court and the complexity of those appeals.
Sir Dennis did not elaborate but between July 2005 and June 2012 close to 100 cases had been filed before the CCJ. From Barbados there were 15 applications for special leave to appeal, 11 civil appeals and six criminal appeals.
“People who come before us instead of going before the Privy Council (seeking justice) will find it much easier to do that,” Sir Dennis said. “In Barbados, since the CCJ?has been established, the number of appeals through the Barbados Court of Appeals has increased by 350 per cent and we think that this is evidence of the fact that access to justice has been improved by the introduction of the Caribbean Court of Justice.” (MK)
