PORT OF SPAIN – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Court Justice (CCJ) says it is developing a manual on its Original Jurisdiction Referral process.
The CCJ, which was established in 2005 to replace the London-based Privy Council as the region’s final court, has both an Original and Appellate Jurisdiction. It also functions as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the regional integration movement.
In a statement, the CCJ said that in collaboration with the CCJ Academy for Law, a meeting was held on Friday to review and finalise a draft manual on the CCJ’s Original Jurisdiction Referral Process.
It said that Article 214 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and Article XIV of The Agreement Establishing the CCJ provides for Treaty-related issues to be referred to the Court under its Original Jurisdiction.
“However, since the Court’s establishment in 2005, this avenue for legal redress has never been utilised. As a result, the CCJ has resolved to develop a manual which will provide guidance on referrals to the CCJ from national courts and tribunals of domestic disputes that concern the interpretation or application of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC).”
It said once finalised, the manual will be made available to judges, legal practitioners and other stakeholders in the region in the hope that the guidance offered will assist in ensuring that the full benefits of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), which allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labour and services across the region, are derived by the people of the Caribbean Community.
The manual is being drafted by Professor Alina Kaczorowska-Ireland of the University of the West Indies. (CMC)