Dominica Officially Joins Caribbean Court of Justice

By: - March 10th, 2015

Above: Dominica (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Caribbean Court of Justice has a new member state: Dominica.

The Eastern Caribbean island has officially acceded to the CCJ as its final court of appeal, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced.

The court was first set up by regional governments in 2001 to replace the London-based Privy Council, but only a few countries have completely acceded to the court: Barbados, Belize and Guyana.

“The CCJ is an independent Court; it’s not part of the domestic affairs of any member state,” said CCJ President Sir Dennis Byron. “Its independence is assured by the institutional arrangements for the appointment of judges and by the character of the judges who have been selected in a competitive process and appointed. The selection process is competitive, rigorously transparent and completely free from political control or influence.”

The CCJ is based in Port of Spain, Trinidad, a country that has only partially acceded to the court.

Law

“The Future of Grand Bahama is Bright”

Above: Grand Bahama (CJ Photo – Robert Dipano) By the Caribbean Journal staff Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie recently addressed the Grand Bahama Business Outlook, vowing that the island had a strong future. Citing increased tourism numbers and a half-billion-dollar planned investment by existing business, Christie said that “step by step the economic revitalization of […]

Law

How to Stand on the Tropic of Cancer

Above: where you can stand on the Tropic of Cancer By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon CJ Travel Editor White-sand beaches, junkanoo and fresh conch salad are all common (and good!) reasons to visit the Bahamas. Now here’s another equally good yet lesser-known justification to visit the archipelago ASAP. In the Exumas (a string of 365 islands and […]

Law

A Major New Caribbean Mall

Above: a rendering of the mall By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon CJ Travel Editor Caribbean shoppers rejoice! A new mall is about to open and make all your high-priced, designer-item dreams come true. The Mall of San Juan throws open its doors in Puerto Rico on March 26 with a 100,000 square-foot Saks Fifth Avenue and a […]

The Best Night in Grand Case

 Above: a performer at Les Mardis in Grand Case (All photos by CJ) By Alexander Britell GRAND CASE — It began with a ti’ punch, as it should have. But the night before, there would have been no ti’ punch here. The streets of Grand Case were teeming with art vendors and grills and sounds […]

Southwest Airlines Launches New Service to Aruba

 Above: Aruba By the Caribbean Journal staff Southwest Airlines has officially launched new service between Houston, Texas and the island of Aruba. The new seasonal service will operate every Saturday through Aug. 8, 2015. The flights out of Houston’s Hobby Airport began on March 7; it is the first-ever international flying offered from Houston Hobby […]

How Aruba is Becoming the Caribbean’s Greenest Island

 Above: a performer at Les Mardis in Grand Case (All photos by CJ) By Alexander Britell GRAND CASE — It began with a ti’ punch, as it should have. But the night before, there would have been no ti’ punch here. The streets of Grand Case were teeming with art vendors and grills and sounds […]

Soca Star Destra Signs on for St Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival

 Above: Destra By the Caribbean Journal staff Soca star Destra is joining this year’s St Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival, organizers announced. Destra, who will perform with the Bakanal Band, is among the leading soca artists in the region. She will be joined by another new name to the lineup, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Chrisette Michele. […]