CCJ says it has not received CARICOM request on Barnett reappointment
Key Points(5)
- The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) says it has not yet received an official request from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for an advisory opinion on the reappointment of Secretary General Dr.
- CARICOM leaders agreed earlier this month to seek the opinion of the Trinidad-based court after Trinidad and Tobago raised concerns about the process used to reappoint Barnett, the first woman to serve as the regional bloc’s secretary general.
- At the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Saint Lucia, Prime Minister Philip J.
- Pierre, who is the current CARICOM chairman, said leaders had agreed to refer the matter to the CCJ for an advisory opinion.
- Pierre said the process would be initiated in accordance with Article 212 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which governs the regional integration movement.
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) says it has not yet received an official request from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for an advisory opinion on the reappointment of Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett.
CARICOM leaders agreed earlier this month to seek the opinion of the Trinidad-based court after Trinidad and Tobago raised concerns about the process used to reappoint Barnett, the first woman to serve as the regional bloc’s secretary general.
At the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Saint Lucia, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, who is the current CARICOM chairman, said leaders had agreed to refer the matter to the CCJ for an advisory opinion.
Pierre said the process would be initiated in accordance with Article 212 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which governs the regional integration movement.
In a statement published on its website, the CCJ said it has compulsory and exclusive jurisdiction to interpret the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas but confirmed that it has not received any formal request from CARICOM.
“While the Court is not yet in receipt of any official request for an Advisory Opinion from CARICOM, it takes note of the information in the public domain that such a request may be forthcoming,” the court said.
The CCJ said that because of public interest in the matter and questions already raised, it was providing clarification on the advisory opinion process.
The court explained that a request for an advisory opinion does not involve adversarial or contentious proceedings. Instead, the court considers submissions from interested parties before issuing a legal opinion addressing the questions submitted.
Under the CCJ’s procedures, once a request is received, the court’s registrar must provide copies to all CARICOM member states and the secretary general within 14 days.
Member states and other entities served with the request would then have 42 days to submit written arguments to the court. Those submissions would be shared with CARICOM member states and the secretary general.
After the submission period ends, the CCJ said it would issue further directions on how the matter will proceed.
The court noted that an advisory opinion would normally be delivered within six months of a hearing, although matters may be considered under an expedited procedure under its Original Jurisdiction Rules.
The public will be notified ahead of the delivery of any advisory opinion, the court said.
Barnett was reappointed as CARICOM secretary general in 2024 for a second five-year term. Her appointment prompted questions from Trinidad and Tobago over whether the correct procedure was followed during the renewal process.
The CCJ said it remains committed to providing accessible, fair and efficient justice for the people and states of CARICOM.
