The Commonwealth of Dominica is now a full fledged member of the Caribbean Court of Justice. This was confirmed on Friday by the government of Dominica, which now joins Guyana, Barbados and Belize as member states. St Lucian PM Kenny Anthony has indicated that his country is not far behind.
Dominica is one of 12 Caribbean Community member-states that use the CCJ as a court of Original Jurisdiction for interpretation and application of the treaty establishing CARICOM.
Twelve of the 15 Caribbean Community member-states are signatories of the CCJ: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
All 12 use the CCJ as a court of Original Jurisdiction for interpretation and application of the treaty establishing CARICOM, but several do not employ the CCJ as the court of final appeal in civil and criminal cases.
Former Acting Chief Justice of the OECS Supreme Court, Sir Brian Alleyne says he would like to see more Caricom member states embrace the CCJ and move on to assert not only our political independence but our judicial independence from the former colonial masters as well.
During the ceremony in Roseau on Friday, Kittitian born Sir Dennis Byron who heads the CCJ, said other Caribbean jurisdictions were heading to make the CCJ the final appellate court.