Caribbean Judiciary Leaders Respond to Turmoil Inside CCJ

As Love News reported on Sunday, Caribbean Court of Justice President Justice Winston Anderson is facing allegations from several fellow judges concerning his leadership and the internal administration of the regional court. The controversy has now drawn a joint response from the heads of judiciary of Belize and six other Caribbean jurisdictions.  In their statement, the judicial leaders acknowledged public reports based on internal correspondence concerning the CCJ’s administration and functioning. They declined, however, to assess the merits of the allegations attributed to individual judges or comment on the court’s internal deliberations.  Instead, they expressed grave concern about the breach of confidentiality that allowed the internal communications to become public.  The allegations reported by the Trinidad Sunday Express include claims of authoritarian leadership, interference in judicial processes and attempts to influence the composition or handling of cases. Justice Anderson has also faced criticism over a proposed judicial dress code.  The heads of judiciary did not directly confirm or deny those claims. They instead expressed continued confidence in the CCJ and its judges, describing the court as a vital regional institution whose authority depends on public confidence in its independence, impartiality and integrity.  The statement was issued by the heads of judiciary of Belize, Barbados, The Bahamas, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.