In a strong parting message as her term as Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) came to an end, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley renewed her appeal for regional governments to fully adopt the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as their final appellate court.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, held on Sunday at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James, Jamaica, Mottley urged leaders to embrace regional judicial sovereignty.
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“Having been the one who chaired the preparatory committee for the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice, you will forgive me if I now make yet another appeal for the citizens of this region to allow their governments to know that there ought to be a singular purpose—for the Caribbean Court of Justice to be truly the last Court of Appeal for the states,” said Mottley.
She acknowledged that some CARICOM member states are constitutionally required to hold referenda before making such a transition but emphasized that public education must be a priority. “This, like everything else, ought to be the subject of public education. And if we can so do, then I believe we can finally start to move the needle generationally for us—recognising that this ought to be our final court,” she added.
Mottley’s remarks came just hours after Justice Winston Anderson was officially sworn in as the new President of the CCJ during a ceremony at the Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort and Spa. In his inaugural address, Anderson expressed hope that more countries will join the CCJ in its appellate jurisdiction during his tenure.
The CCJ, established in 2005, serves two functions: it adjudicates disputes under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas governing the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), and it serves as the final appellate court for member states that have adopted it in place of the United Kingdom’s Privy Council.
While twelve countries were founding members of the CCJ, only five—Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, and Saint Lucia—have so far accepted it as their final appellate court. The remaining countries continue to rely on the Privy Council, based in London, for their highest level of legal appeals.
Mottley’s renewed appeal adds momentum to the long-standing debate over legal independence in the region, a matter viewed by many as a critical step in deepening Caribbean sovereignty and integration.
