CCJ lauds launch of Suriname’s Code of Judical Conduct

Suriname on November 6 launched its Code of Judicial Conduct.

President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Sir Dennis Byron and Mr. Justice Jacob Wit attended the launch held at the High Court of Justice in Suriname.

The Conference of Caribbean Chief Justices and Heads of Judiciary was represented at this ceremony by Chancellor Carl Singh of Guyana.

The launch was the culmination of a Judicial Education programme conducted by the CCJ for and at the request of the judiciary of Suriname to improve the quality of justice delivery. They led the faculty which also included Mr Ewald Ombre, a former President of the High Court of Justice of Suriname and Mr Hans Lim A Po, a leading lawyer and academic in Suriname, and other facilitators.

The Code of Judicial Conduct project was conducted over a period of 18 months during which all judges of the court participated.

A judicial code is a collection of rules and guidelines governing the conduct of judges, in their personal and professional capacity.

Sir Dennis Byron, a champion of justice reform and education, was encouraged by this important step in strengthening the governance structure of Suriname’s courts. Sir Dennis Byron stated: “a Code of Conduct provides a blueprint for judges as to what is expected of them and, more importantly, provides the public with insight into the principles that guide judges in their personal and professional life.”

He commented that Suriname was the first jurisdiction in CARICOM to ask for and obtain the assistance of the CCJ in developing and or reviewing a code of judicial ethics.

He commended the Acting President of Suriname’s High Court of Justice, Mr. Justice Iwan Rasoelbaks and his team for their expert stewardship and unwavering commitment to the project and congratulated them on the launch of the code. (Extracted from Caribbean Court of Justice Press Release)