Bridgetown.
The historic sitting of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in Barbados began yesterday with Attorney General of Barbados Adriel Brathwaite, chiding members members of CARICOM who have not yet made the CCJ their final court of appeal.
Addressing a large gathering of dignitaries Brathwaite said, "I believe other members of the Commonwealth are watching to see how we handle this. As a peole we have to get it right".
He stated the CCJ carried a political and cultural authenticity and legititmacy that the British Privy Council could never claim, no matter how long it serves as the final appellate court for the CARICOM member states that have not made the transition to the CCJ.
"I would be very disappointed if the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States does not make the neccessary constitutional changes to make the CCJ their final court within the next few months", Brathwaite said.
President of the court Sir Dennis Byron said he was very optimistic about everything concerning the CCJ.
"We have already started to strengthen the CARICOM region as a single market and economy. We are addressing a number of key issues that impact upon the development of the CSME", Sir Byron said.
He added that in two countries the CCJ had been instrumental in getting tarfiffs in place for external importations.
"We also have filings ahead of us regarding competiton and fair trading, so we are working hard", he noted.
Sir Byron said that once some admininistrative hurdles such as referendums in Grenada and Antigua were cleared in individual jurisdictions, more CARICOM countries would make the CCJ their final court od appeal.
The sitting in Barbados, is the first occasion the CCJ is hearing cases outside of its headquarters in Trinidad.
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