Belize has joined two other Caribbean Community (Caricom) states which have adopted the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as their final Court of Appeal.
According to a media release, the CCJ welcomed the Central American nation under its umbrella, the move which replaced the Privy Council as that country’s highest court of appeal as of June 1st, 2010.
Belize Prime Minister, Dean Barrow issued Orders to bring into force the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act and the Caribbean Court of Justice Act as of June 1st. The passing of the Bill to amend the constitution of Belize, the release noted, provided for the removal of the Judicial Committee of Her Majesty’s Privy Council as the last court of resort, and its replacement by the CCJ.
All appeals from the Court of Appeal in Belize filed after May 31st last will be transferred to the CCJ, the only exception under the transitional provisions contained in the amending legislation are those of cases in which leave to appeal to the Privy council was granted before June 1, 2010.
Belize joins Guyana and Barbados as the Caricom countries which have agreed to access the Trinidad and Tobago–based CCJ in its appellate jurisdiction.
The CCJ has heard 58 appeals since its inauguration in 2005. As part of its mission, the CCJ works towards the fostering of an indigenous Caribbean jurisprudence.
