The question has been asked sometimes why do we need a Caribbean Court of Justice. The short and simple response is that without it the CARICOM Single Market and Economy will certainly not function effectively. For it is inevitable that in the cut and thrust of the commercial and economic life involving trade in goods, in services, trans-community investment and movement of skilled labour as well as the dynamics of social life within that market, there will be disputes.

Consultations on the establishment of the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), and arrangements for the inauguration of the Court, which is scheduled for the latter half of 2003, is expected to commence soon.  This was a mandate coming out of the Fourteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which concluded in Trinidad and Tobago last weekend.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] have signed an agreement which will provide US$300 000 to support the work towards the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The funds will come from the Government of Japan through its Human Resource Development Fund (JHRDF) channeled to the Community which is administered by the UNDP. Signing the Agreement were CARICOM's Deputy-Secretary-General, Dr Carla Barnett, UNDP's Deputy Resident Representative in Guyana, Mr.

Just weeks after Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) agreed on a formula for the funding of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), a group of workers from the state sector will gather in Trinidad and Tobago for the final in a series of education workshops for state sector employers who will interface with the Court.

Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community Mr Edwin Carrington, has wrapped up a one-week tour of Jamaica where he spoke to wide ranging audiences on a range of issues related to the Caribbean Court of Justice. The week of public education activities on the Court ran from 24-30 April 2001.