This article is about the superior court of record for OECS member states. For the appeal court of the Caribbean Community, see Caribbean Court of Justice.

The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is a superior court of record for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS),[1] including six independent states: Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and three British Overseas Territories (Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, and Montserrat). It has unlimited jurisdiction in each member State.

History

The ECSC was established in 1967 by the West Indies Associated States Supreme Court Order No. 223 of 1967. In relation to Grenada, the Court is styled "the Supreme Court of Grenada and the West Indies Associated States". See section 105 of the Grenada Constitution.

Functions

The functions of the ECSC are as follows:

  • To interpret and apply the laws of the various member states of the OECS;
  • To decide cases of both civil and criminal matters;
  • To hear appeals.

Appeals from the ECSC

Appeals from the ECSC can be lodged in defined cases to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the United Kingdom (in cases from Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, and Montserrat) or the Caribbean Court of Justice in Trinidad and Tobago (for cases from Dominica and Saint Lucia[2]).

Composition

Judges

To be a judge or master of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, a person must have served as a judge in a Commonwealth jurisdiction or be qualified to act as a lawyer in a Commonwealth jurisdiction. An appointee does not need to be a national, judge, or lawyer of a country within the jurisdiction of the Court. The Chief Justice is appointed by the King of the United Kingdom by Letters Patent as advised by the Lord Chancellor.[3] Other judges are appointed on behalf of the King by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission.[clarification needed]

High Court Judges and Masters are assigned to reside in and hear cases from a specific member state. It is common for judges to be asked to work in countries other than their home state. Judges are only occasionally assigned to reside in Montserrat and Anguilla—because of the small population of these countries, judges from the other jurisdictions hear cases that arise from these two jurisdictions. The Court of Appeal is itinerant and travels to the various countries to hear appeals.

Judges have life tenure but Justices of Appeal must retire when they are 65 and High Court Judges must retire when they are 62. Extensions of up to three years may be granted by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission only if all of the states agree to such an extension.

Current composition

Name Home state Position Appointed to current position
Vacant Chief Justice
Mario Michel  Saint Lucia Justice of Appeal 2012
Gerard Farara  British Virgin Islands Justice of Appeal [Ag.] 2020
Trevor Ward  Trinidad and Tobago Justice of Appeal 2022
Margaret Price Finlay  Trinidad and Tobago Justice of Appeal 2022
Vicki Ann Ellis  Saint Lucia Justice of Appeal 2022
Eddy Ventose  Saint Lucia Justice of Appeal 2024
Esco Henry  Montserrat Justice of Appeal 2024

High Court Judges

 Anguilla
  • Ermin Moise
 Antigua and Barbuda
  • Nicola Petra Byer
  • Ann-Marie Smith
  • Jan Drysdale
  • Rene Williams
  • Tunde Ademola Bakre [Ag.]
 Dominica
  • Colin Williams
  • Jacqueline Josiah-Graham
 Grenada
  • Paula Gilford
  • Raulston Glasgow
  • Shawn Innocent
  • Agnes Actie
 Montserrat
  • Dale Francis Fitzpatrick
 Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Iain Charles Morley, KC
  • Patrick Thompson Jr. (Nevis Circuit)
  • Tamara Gill
 Saint Lucia
  • Wynante Adrien-Roberts
  • Cadie St. Rose- Albertini
  • Vivian Georgis Taylor-Alexander
  • Kimberly Cenac-Phulgence
  • Rohan Phillip
  • Alvin Pariagsingh
  • Rechanne Browne


 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Brian Cottle
  • Birnie Stephenson
  • Rickie Burnett
  • Richard Floyd [Ag.]
  • Gertel Thom [Ag.]
 British Virgin Islands
  • Angelica Teelucksingh
  • Sonya Young
  • Gerhard Wallbank [Ag.]
  • Paul Webster [Ag.]

Chief Justices

Name Home state Dates
Allen Montgomery Lewis  Saint Lucia 1967–1972
P. Cecil Lewis (acting)  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1972–1975
Maurice Davis  Saint Kitts and Nevis 1975–1980
Neville Peterkin  Grenada 1981–1983
Neville Berridge (acting)  Saint Kitts and Nevis 1983–1984
Lascelles Robotham  Jamaica 1984–1991
Vincent Floissac  Saint Lucia 1991–1996
Charles Michael Dennis Byron  Saint Kitts and Nevis 1996–2004 (acting 1996–1999)
Adrian Saunders (acting)  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2004–2005
Brian George Keith Alleyne (acting)  Dominica 2005–2008
Hugh Anthony Rawlins  Saint Kitts and Nevis 2008–2012
Janice Pereira  British Virgin Islands 2012–2024
Mario Michel (acting)  Saint Lucia 2024–prresent

Location

The Headquarters of the ECSC is in Castries, Saint Lucia, where it is located on the second floor of the Heraldine Rock Building, Block B, on the Waterfront. The building houses the Justices of Appeal's chambers, the Court of Appeal Registry, the Judicial Education Institute, Library, and the Administrative Services.

In addition, there are Court Offices in the nine Member States, which house the chambers of the High Court Judges and the offices of the High Court Registry. Each High Court Registry is headed by a legally trained Registrar who provides the necessary administrative and legal support for the functioning of the High Court.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ John Hatchard (ed.) Directory of Commonwealth Law Schools 2003-2004. Cavendish Publishing. 2003. ISBN 1-85941-758-2; page 122.
  2. ^ "In Saint Lucia, parliament passes constitutional amendment to replace Privy Council with Caribbean Court of Justice as final court of appeal". ConstitutionNet. 2 March 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Vacancy Notice – Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court". Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. Retrieved 11 September 2022.

External links