GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Aug11, CMC – The Bar Association of Guyana says it has taken note “with grave concern” media reports regarding the administration of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
In a statement, it said that the CCJ, as Guyana’s final appellate court and the only court vested with jurisdiction to interpret and apply the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, “must remain a bastion of justice in the Caribbean.
“Its institutional integrity must therefore be respected, protected and preserved,” the association said, adding that “internal correspondence and deliberations within the Court are, and must remain, confidential.
“By itself, the act of disclosing such correspondence—not its content—risks bringing the administration of justice into disrepute.”
The Bar Association of Guyana statement follows a report in the Trinidad and Tobago Sunday Express newspaper claiming that the CCJ President, Justice Winston Anderson had been accused by a majority of his fellow judges of governing the regional court in an “authoritarian” and “dictatorial” manner
The newspaper said that the complaints range from unilaterally imposing a judicial dress code to allegations of “panel fixing” and attempts to influence the outcome of cases.
Guyana is among several Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries that have full membership of the court established on 16 April 2005, following the signing of its founding agreement on 14 February 2001.
The other countries have signed on to both the Appellate and Original Jurisdictions of the CCJ are Barbados, Belize, St. Lucia, Dominica, while the other CARICOM countries are members of the Original Jurisdiction of the Court that also serves as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the rehional integration movement.
The Bar Association of Guyana said that the legal profession “expects and respects robust discussion among the members of the Court” and that “the unauthorised disclosure of internal correspondence to the media would constitute a gross breach of confidence and a serious dereliction of duty by any person responsible.
“The Bar Council believes that the President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, as the leader of the Court, should be afforded sufficient latitude to articulate and implement a vision for the Court and the principles governing its administration, with due regard to the Code of Judicial Conduct of the Caribbean Court of Justice,” the association said adding it “expresses no view on the substance of the matters raised in the correspondence”.
In a statement to the Sunday Express newspaper, the CCJ said it “is mindful that questions and allegations presented without the benefit of context, background, or an appreciation of the nature of judicial deliberations, collegial discussions, and institutional governance may lend themselves to misunderstanding or mischaracterisation.
“For that reason, the Court wishes to reaffirm that the Judges of the Caribbean Court of Justice remain committed to the tenets of judicial conduct enshrined in the United Nations Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct—independence, impartiality, integrity, propriety, equality, competence, and diligence.
“Maintaining public confidence in the Court is fundamental to upholding the rule of law and preserving trust in the administration of justice. The Caribbean Court of Justice remains committed to providing accessible fair and efficient justice for the people and states of the Caribbean Community.”
CMC/gt/ir/2026