The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is a superior court of record for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), including six

independent state Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

s: Antigua and Barbuda, the

Commonwealth of Dominica Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...

, Grenada,

Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis (), officially the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, is an island country and microstate consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain ...

, Saint Lucia,

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines () is an island country in the Caribbean. It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, which lie in the West Indies at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea w ...

and three British Overseas Territories (

Anguilla Anguilla ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The terr ...

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = " Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Bri ...

, and Montserrat). It has unlimited jurisdiction in each member State.

History

The ECSC was established in 1967 by the

West Indies Associated States West Indies Associated States was the collective name for a number of islands in the Eastern Caribbean whose status changed from being British colonies to states in free association with the United Kingdom in 1967. These states were Antigua, Do ...

Supreme Court Order No. 223 of 1967. In relation to Grenada, the Court is styled "the Supreme Court of Grenada and the West Indies Associated States". See section 105 of the Grenada Constitution.

Functions

The functions of the ECSC are as follows: * To interpret and apply the laws of the various member states of the OECS; * To decide cases of both civil and criminal matters; * To hear appeals.

Appeals from the ECSC

Appeals from the ECSC can be lodged in defined cases to the

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, some Commonwealth countries and a few institutions in the United Kingdom. Established on 14 Aug ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

(in cases from Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, and Montserrat) or the

Caribbean Court of Justice The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ; nl, Caribisch Hof van Justitie; french: Cour Caribéenne de Justice) is the judicial institution of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Established in 2005, it is based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. ...

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

(for cases from Dominica and Saint Lucia).

Composition

Judges

To be a judge or master of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, a person must have served as a judge in a Commonwealth jurisdiction or be qualified to act as a lawyer in a Commonwealth jurisdiction. An appointee does not need to be a national, judge, or lawyer of a country within the jurisdiction of the Court. The Chief Justice is appointed by the King of the United Kingdom by Letters Patent as advised by the

Lord Chancellor The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. Th ...

. Other judges are appointed on behalf of the King by the

Judicial and Legal Services Commission The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

. High Court Judges and Masters are assigned to reside in and hear cases from a specific member state. It is common for judges to be asked to work in countries other than their home state. Judges are only occasionally assigned to reside in Montserrat and Anguilla—because of the small population of these countries, judges from the other jurisdictions hear cases that arise from these two jurisdictions. The Court of Appeal is itinerant and travels to the various countries to hear appeals. Judges have life tenure but Justices of Appeal must retire when they are 65 and High Court Judges must retire when they are 62. Extensions of up to three years may be granted by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission only if all of the states agree to such an extension.

Current composition

High Court Judges

; *Ermin Moise ; ; *Nicola Petra Byer *Ann-Marie Smith *Marissa Robertson *Colin Williams *Jan Drysdale ; ; ; *Wynante Adrien-Roberts *Jacqueline Josiah-Graham ; ; ; *Paula Gilford *Victoria Charles-Clarke *Raulston Glasgow *Agnes Actie ; ; ; *Iain Charles Morley, KC ; ; ; *Iain Charles Morley, KC *Patrick Thompson Jr. (Nevis Circuit) ; ; ; *Cadie St. Rose- Albertini *Vivian Georgis Taylor-Alexander *Shawn Innocent *Kimberly Cenac-Phulgence *Rohan Phillip ; *Brian Cottle *Esco Henry *Rickie Burnett ; ; ; *Richard Floyd *Gerhard Wallbank g.*Adrian Jack g.

Chief Justices

Location

The Headquarters of the ECSC is in Castries, Saint Lucia, where it is located on the second floor of the Heraldine Rock Building, Block B, on the Waterfront. The building houses the Justices of Appeal's chambers, the Court of Appeal Registry, the Judicial Education Institute, Library, and the Administrative Services. In addition, there are Court Offices in the nine Member States, which house the chambers of the High Court Judges and the offices of the High Court Registry. Each High Court Registry is headed by a legally trained Registrar who provides the necessary administrative and legal support for the functioning of the High Court.

Notable people

* David Courtenay Harris, High Court Judge

References

External links

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court website
{{Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Law in the Caribbean International supreme courts International courts and tribunals Courts and tribunals established in 1967 Antigua and Barbuda court system Law of Dominica Law of Grenada Law of Saint Kitts and Nevis Law of Saint Lucia Law of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Law of Anguilla Law of the British Virgin Islands Law of Montserrat 1960s establishments in the Caribbean