Belize PM salutes scholarly legacy, visionary leadership of new CCJ president

Prime Minister of Belize, John Briceño, speaking in his capacity as Head of Government for Justice and Governance in CARICOM, has praised the newly installed President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Justice Winston Anderson, who is Jamaican, as a visionary jurist whose fingerprints are indelibly etched on the progress of regional jurisprudence.

Delivering remarks at the swearing-in held at the Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort & Spa in Montego Bay, St James, today during the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, Briceño said Anderson's storied career stands as a testament to excellence, innovation, and service to the Caribbean legal fraternity.

“Justice Winston Anderson, a jurist whose professional career highlights him as one who has always pushed the envelope — whether through his scholarship in moulding the minds of future lawyers in academia, his legal guidance as General Counsel of the CARICOM Secretariat, or his trailblazing work on the court — has proven time and again that he is a force for legal transformation,” Briceño declared.

He noted that Anderson's impact can be traced through the first 20 years of the CCJ, particularly through his pioneering leadership in the CCJ Academy for Law, an institution Briceño hailed as one of the cornerstones of the court's community engagement and policy development.

“Do a review of the CCJ's successes, achievements, and initiatives in the past two decades, and you will see the imprint and influence of Justice Anderson throughout — especially in the participatory work of the CCJ Academy for Law, where he has been celebrated as the driving force,” the Belizean leader said.

Briceño expressed pride in Belize's role in Anderson's journey to the presidency, noting that in September last year, while serving as Acting President, Anderson conducted in-service training in Belize and headlined the Criminal Justice Reform Conference, where he championed the academy's “Law Needs Hands” Declaration.

“The court and the region have benefited greatly from his intellect, his scholarship, his leadership, and his unquenched drive to continuously pursue new ways to advance the law and make it work for the people of the region,” Briceño said.

He concluded with a vote of confidence in Anderson's leadership and vision for the future of the CCJ:

“We have every confidence that President Anderson will not only continue the court's tradition of excellence but, given his stellar track record, will take the CCJ to even greater heights. On behalf of the Heads of Government, I extend heartiest congratulations to you and your family as you assume the presidency.”

The occasion formed part of the broader 49th CARICOM Heads of Government Summit, which has drawn regional leaders to Montego Bay for high-level talks on justice reform, economic development, and regional integration.

- Albert Ferguson

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