Justice Chile Eboe-Osuji was officially sworn in on Tuesday as a judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), in a ceremony held at the President’s House in Trinidad and Tobago. President Christine Kangaloo administered the oath of office, marking a significant milestone for the regional court.
Eboe-Osuji, a Nigerian-Canadian jurist and former President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), replaces Justice Andrew Burgess, who retired from the CCJ on April 11. His appointment follows a competitive selection process by the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC), which reviewed 26 applications for the post.
“Justice Eboe-Osuji is a brilliant legal mind and a gifted jurist whose long and distinguished career has spanned many countries and institutions,” said President Kangaloo. She praised the CCJ for its continued commitment to excellence, calling the judge’s addition “another important step” toward fulfilling its vision.
CCJ President Justice Adrian Saunders welcomed the new appointee, expressing confidence in the impact he will have on regional jurisprudence. “Mr Justice Eboe-Osuji has an impeccable record of service as a lawyer and jurist. I have no doubt that he will make an important contribution to the development of our Caribbean jurisprudence,” Saunders said. He also emphasized the independence and integrity of the judicial appointment process, describing it as “rigorous, competitive, merit-based, and entirely independent of any political involvement.”
Justice Eboe-Osuji brings extensive experience in international law, with expertise in criminal and human rights law. His legal career includes practice as a barrister in Nigeria and Canada, appearances before the Supreme Court of Canada, and service as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ legal advisor. He has also contributed to major courts around the world through amicus curiae briefs and served as a professor and published author.
Speaking at the ceremony, Eboe-Osuji underscored the significance of the CCJ as both a court for interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and a final appellate court for CARICOM member states. “There is no need to look beyond the seas for a final court of appeal, given the quality of judges we have on that Bench, and it is an incredible honour for me to have been selected,” he said.
The CCJ, established in 2001, was created to replace the London-based Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as the final court of appeal for Caribbean nations. Judges of the CCJ serve until the age of 72, while the Court’s President holds a non-renewable seven-year term.
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