In a historic sitting last week the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) held a hearing by way of teleconferencing involving Guyanese attorneys in Guyana while the Court was convened in Trinidad.
The full panel of the Caribbean Court of Justice headed by President Michael De la Bastide and including Justices Rolston Nelson, Desiree Bernard, Adrian Saunders and Jacob Wit heard arguments from Guyanese attorneys in Guyana on an application for leave to appeal as a poor person.
The case of Eileen Ross V Coreen Nelson involves a dispute over ownership of an apartment in Laing Avenue, Georgetown. Both parties were financially challenged and could not afford either travel to the Court in Trinidad or the cost of legal representation at the Court in Trinidad. The applicant Eileen Ross was represented by the firm of Fraser & Housty whose team of attorneys included Stephen Fraser, Nigel Hughes, Teni Housty and Roger Yearwood while Coreen Saunders was represented by Timothy Jonas of De Caires and Fitzpatrick.
The hearing lasted in excess of three hours. After hearing extensive and involved arguments the CCJ granted leave to appeal as a poor person to Eileen Ross. Some of the attorneys interviewed thought it was a significant development in the challenge of bringing the CCJ closer to the average litigant and a positive step in affording the financially challenged greater access to justice.
The CCJ was inaugurated on April 16, 2005.
