CCJ to hold special sitting in commemoration of outgoing president

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The outgoing President of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Justice Adrian Saunders, says it has been ‘truly an honour to have served the people of the Caribbean for almost 30 years”.

The CCJ, which was established in 2001 to replace the London-based Privy Council as the region’s highest and final court, will on June 3, convene a Ceremonial Sitting to honour the Vincentian-born jurist.

The CCJ said that the special sitting will commemorate his almost three decades of dedicated service to the Caribbean including 20 years at the CCJ, seven years of which he served as the Court’s third President. His tenure ends on July 3, 2025.

“Both at the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and here at the CCJ, I have had the privilege of working alongside a distinguished panel of judges and a committed team of staff, all of whom share an unwavering dedication to justice, regional development, and institutional excellence,” said Justice Saunders.

Justice Saunders is the first citizen of the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to serve on the CCJ. He began his judicial career in 1996 with his appointment to the High Court of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC). He was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2003 and served as the acting Chief Justice between 2004 and 2005.

During his tenure at the ECSC, he was deeply involved in judicial reform initiatives, including the introduction of court-connected mediation and the development of the Court’s first Judicial Code of Ethics. In 1998, he earned a Fellowship of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute (CJEI).

He was the Course Director of the CJEI’s Intensive Study Programme for several years and is currently one of the Institute’s Vice Presidents.

The CCJ said that due to his active engagement in advancing judicial integrity, Justice Saunders was also appointed to serve on the Advisory Board of the Global Judicial Integrity Network by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Justice Saunders is a founding member of the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers (CAJO) which provides judicial education for judicial officers throughout the region and served as the Association’s Chairman from its inception in 2009 to 2019.

In 2018, he was appointed President of the CCJ and has served for approximately seven years, the maximum term allowed for Presidents of the Court.

“As President, he led the development of the Court’s Strategic Plans and was instrumental in enhancing the Court’s administrative structure and public outreach,” the CCJ added.

Follow The Gleaner on X and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.