PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is observing its 11th anniversary on Saturday, saying it has disposed of 163 matters out of a total of 182 applications and appeals from both its original and appellate jurisdiction.

The Court, which was inaugurated in 2005 to replace the London-based Privy Council as the region’s final court, said it has been making strides in the advancement of the provision of judicial services to the Caribbean region.

“The Court is building its technological capacity and developing further its court performance standards in keeping with the International Framework on Court Excellence,” the CCJ said in a statement.

“The Court believes that these institutional strengthening initiatives will continue to uphold efficiency, transparency and accessibility in the carrying out of its mandate. The CCJ continues to uphold its primary and exclusive role for settling disputes emanating from the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas of the Caribbean Community (Caricom)”.

The CCJ said that while only Barbados, Guyana, Belize, and Dominica are signatories to its appellate jurisdiction, “the Caricom states of Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada have initiated public consultations on relinquishing ties with the Privy Council and moving to the CCJ”.

Most of the 15-member Caricom countries are signatories to the Court’s original jurisdiction and the CCJ said apart from fulfilling its judicial role, it continues “to actively participate in the various judicial reform activities throughout the Caribbean region”.

The CCJ is the executing agency for the Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening (JURIST) Project, a five-year programme that is funded by the Government of Canada.