CCJ President Anderson rejects allegations of panel manipulation, internal tensions

Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) President Justice Winston Anderson has vehemently denied allegations of internal tensions and judicial panel manipulation within the regional court. Anderson issued a strong statement rejecting claims that panels were altered to sway case outcomes, calling the unauthorized leaking of confidential court communications "wholly unacceptable."

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I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the unauthorised disclosure and publication of confidential material relating to the internal deliberations and confidential correspondence of the Court.

Anderson stated that such disclosures undermine judicial independence and public confidence in the court. He provided context for a decision to remove a judge from a panel, explaining it was based solely on concerns regarding judicial attire, not the judge's opinions on a specific case. The CCJ president also refuted attempts to influence judgments and defended robust disagreements among judges as a normal part of appellate court deliberations. However, he acknowledged that certain matters could have been handled differently.

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Such disclosures and their publication are wholly unacceptable and strike at one of the fundamental principles upon which every independent judiciary depends.

The allegations surfaced following emails published by Trinidad and Tobago's Sunday Express, which reportedly obtained leaked internal correspondence. The CCJ, inaugurated in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on April 16, 2005, currently has seven judges, presided over by Justice Winston Anderson. Five Caribbean states, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, and Saint Lucia, access the court in its Appellate Jurisdiction.

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It erodes trust in the sanctity of judicial deliberations and judicial collegiality.

Anderson emphasized that the CCJ remains committed to serving the Caribbean with independence, fairness, and integrity. He described the recent press reports as causing "concern, anxiety and profound sadness" both within the institution and across the region. He highlighted the court's significance as a product of decades of effort by Caribbean people who believed in establishing and sustaining their own final court, a legacy he stressed deserves protection.

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The Court stands today because of generations of Caribbean men and women who invested their intellect, labour and unwavering belief in the ideal of Caribbean justice. That legacy deserves our protection.