Rowley urges TT gov't to embrace CCJ

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley wants the new People's partnership to remove the Privy Council as Trinidad and Tobago's final court of appeal and replace it with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The headquarters of the CCJ is in Port of Spain. The Panday UNC administration set up the court but Panday did not support the Manning government's move to make the CCJ the final court.

In an independence day message Rowley urged the Kamla administration to make the move away from the London-based court.

Rowley said it would be a symbolic shift to true independence beyond just political independence. He said independence should also mean that Caribbean nationals must be responsible for interpreting the laws of the land and arbitrating on issues impartially.

Rowley said the continued denial of the legitimacy of the CCJ amounts to "an unwarranted slur" on jurists.

The PNM leader said recognition of the regional court of appeal is important for his party. "This an issue of principle, not opportunism,” he said.

Only four Caribbean states have accepted the CCJ, which was inaugurated in 2005, as their final courts - Guyana, Belize, Barbados and St Lucia.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has said the people must decide on the issue through a national referendum.

Despite Rowley's concerns, some people believe that now is not the time to replace the Privy Council.

One commentator in the Trinidad Guardian said:

"Given the number of defective decisions that the Privy Council has had to reverse, I am not surprised that most people still want to retain the PC as the final appelate court.

"It is rather ironical for Rowley to make this call seeing that the PNM spent so much taxpayers money hiring high-priced English QCs to continue to deprive citizens justice when the local courts ruled against the Government, especially in matters involving discrimination whether it be in the work-place or in the award of radio licences.

"I would like to see the CCJ become the highest court of the land, but first there must be confidence in its ability to deliver judgement uninfluenced by any form of affiliation.

"Maybe for the immediate future it can be used as an intermediate court of appeal until the people can have confidence in their decisions."