As part of the process towards the full implementation of the Caribbean Court of Justice CCJ, countries within CARICOM must deposit various instruments pertaining to the body passed in their respective Houses of Parliament, to bring the agreement establishing the CCJ into force.

While in Suriname for the 16th Inter-Sessional Meeting of Heads of the Conference of the Caribbean Community Prime Minister Spencer presented to the Chairman and Secretary General of CARICOM; President Runaldo Ronald Venetiaan and Dr. Edwin Carrington, the following instruments of Accession and Ratification:

Revised Agreement establishing the CCJ Trust Fund

Protocol on the status, privileges and immunities of the CCJ and the Regional Judicial and Legal Service Commission

Agreement Establishing the CCJ

Protocol to the agreement establishing the CCJ relating to the Juridical Personality and Legal Capacity of the court.

Antigua and Barbuda has only signed on to the CCJ in its Original Jurisdiction, with a referendum and two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives needed for the country to adopt the court in its Appellate Jurisdiction.

In the exercise of its original jurisdiction, the CCJ will be discharging the functions of an international tribunal applying rules of international law in respect of the interpretation and application of the Treaty. In this regard, the CCJ would be performing functions like the European Court of Justice, the European Court of First Instance, the Andean Court of Justice and the International Court of Justice.

In short, the proposed CCJ is intended to be a hybrid institution - a municipal court of last resort and an international court with compulsory and exclusive jurisdiction in respect of the interpretation and application of the Treaty.

By: Caribbeannews