00:00The regional judiciary is choosing not to enter the debate over allegations concerning the Caribbean Court of Justice.
00:07Instead, heads of the judiciary of the Bahamas, Guyana, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and Trinidad and Tobago
00:15are focusing on what they say is a more fundamental issue, the apparent breach of confidentiality.
00:22Their statement follows reports detailing internal correspondence involving CCJ judges
00:27and concerns about the administration and functioning of the court.
00:32Reports have alleged that a number of judges raise concerns about the leadership and internal management of the CCJ.
00:38But the regional judicial heads say they will not assess those allegations publicly.
00:44They say, quote,
00:45We do not consider it appropriate to comment upon the merits of statements or allegations attributed to individual judges, end
00:52quote.
00:53They are, however, making clear that they are troubled by how the information reach the public.
00:58The joint statement reads, quote,
01:01The concern is being echoed in Guyana, where the Bar Association has also condemned the unauthorized disclosure of correspondence exchanged
01:20among CCJ judges,
01:22warning that the leak could undermine confidence in the administration of justice.
01:26And the judicial heads are placing the issue in the wider context of public confidence in the regional court, saying,
01:34quote,
01:34Its authority, like that of all courts, rest upon public confidence in the independence, impartiality, integrity and competence of its
01:43judges, end quote.
01:45The CCJ has a dual role in the Caribbean.
01:48Its original jurisdiction allows it to interpret and apply the revised treaty of Shagaramas,
01:53while countries that have acceded to its appellate jurisdiction use the court as their final court of appeal.
02:00The judicial heads are therefore drawing a distinction between the allegations now being debated publicly and the institution itself.
02:08They say they remain confident in the CCJ and its judges, while reaffirming the importance of protecting the court's integrity.
02:17The statement says, quote,
02:18We remain confident in the Caribbean Court of Justice as a vital regional judicial institution
02:23and in the commitment of its judges to the principles which underpin the administration of justice throughout the Caribbean, end
02:30quote.
02:31The statement ultimately calls for the protection of judicial independence and institutional integrity
02:37and for public trust in the regional courts to be maintained.
02:42Urvishita Wari Rupnarain, TV6 News.
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