(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana)  Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government have expressed their support for and confidence in the integrity of the judicial process in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Eastern Caribbean.

In a statement at the end of the XVIII Meeting of the Conference in Montego Bay, Jamaica, which ended recently, the leaders deplored any form of interference in the judicial process of Member States of the Community.

The statement came against the background of a presentation by the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Rt. Hon. Sir James Mitchell with respect to the trial in his country of two American citizens for the murder of a Vincentian boatman. Sir James reported that the American media had vilified St. Vincent and the Grenadines and its justice system and official approaches had been made to the penal authorities for preferential treatment for the American couple in custody.

The Heads of Government discussed the matter in caucas and noted with concern the external pressures being exerted on the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. They also expressed concern at the adverse publicity by the United States media on the judicial process in St. Vincent, which is a component part of the judicial system in the entire Eastern Caribbean with final jurisdiction by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the United Kingdom.

The trial began last Thursday.