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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, March 12, 2019 (CMC) – The Trinidad and Tobago-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has unveiled a five-year strategic plan that will, among other things, strengthen its bonds with the people of the region and advance the rule of law.
The 2019-24 strategic plan, with the theme, “Unlocking Potential,” includes a new mission, vision and values for the Court, which was developed by the judges and staff.
“Our intention is to take bolder strides and to be more innovative; to better empower decision-makers; to communicate more effectively, both internally and with all our stakeholders; to work more meaningfully with partners and justice sector bodies in the region; to strengthen our bonds with the Caribbean people and to advance the rule of law,” said CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders.
He explained that the implementation of the strategic plan will help to move forward, the CCJ, which was established in 2001, to replace the London-based Privy Council as the region’s final court. It also serves as an international tribunal, interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the regional integration movement.
Registrar and CCJ Chief Marshal, Mrs. Jacqueline Graham, said that the theme of “Unlocking Potential”, through the implementation of the strategic plan, will also encourage a more streamlined monitoring and review of the Court’s systems.
“These systems must, at all times, be characterized by high levels of accountability, transparency, efficiency and fairness, and they must be harnessed by the Court’s governance principles,” she added.
The CCJ’s strategic plan contains six strategic issues, broken down into 14 goals and 41 strategies that will be used to effectively fulfil the CCJ’s aim, of unlocking the potential of the organisation.
The six strategic issues include: communication; independence and accountability; high performance environment; equality, fairness and integrity in promoting the rule of law, organisational capacity for caseload growth and enhanced regional system capacity; and performance.
In a statement, the CCJ said that the plan is already guiding its operations and had been used in the development of the Court’s work plan for this year.
“The process of implementing the strategic plan will be iterative, each unit will assess the results of their efforts, on an ongoing basis, and will adjust their work plans to ensure that results are aligned with the stated goals.”
The development of the strategic plan was made possible, with support from the JURIST Project, a judicial reform initiative, funded by the Canadian government and implemented by the CCJ.
The strategic plan was developed using a collaborative process, with input from representatives of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC), the CCJ Trust Fund, regional judiciaries, bar associations, law schools and faculties of law.
