PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Justice Peter Jamadar has been sworn in as a new judge with the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) that was established in 2011 to replace the London-based Privy Council as the region’s highest and final court.

Justice Jamadar was sworn in by Trinidad and Tobago’s President Paula-Mae Weekes,

“Today I take up a seat on the CCJ. I am both proud and humbled. For any Caribbean jurist or legal practitioner, one of the pinnacle achievements must be, to sit as a judge of the CCJ. It is at once an office of great status and of even greater service,” the new judge said.

CCJ president, Justice Adrian Saunders, said that Jamadar’s appointment marked the culmination of a competitive process, conducted by the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission, the independent body responsible for selecting and appointing staff of the Court.

“The commission did not only consider the respective qualifications, experience and skill sets of the applicants. As mandated by the Agreement Establishing the CCJ, the commission was also obliged to consider the applicants’ moral character, their intellectual and analytical ability, the soundness of their judgment, their integrity, and their understanding of people and society,” he added.

Justice Saunders said that the Trinidad-born jurist “judgements are erudite and well-reasoned.

“They demonstrate a high intellect, a deep understanding of Caribbean society, and an abiding sense of fairness. Unsurprisingly, several of these judgments have been cited with approval by judges of both the CCJ and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.”

Justice Jamadar previously served as a Judge of the Appeal Court of Trinidad and Tobago. He is the Vice President (Programming) and a Faculty member of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute (CJEI) and Vice-Chairman of the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers (CAJO).

He is also a certified Transpersonal Psychologist and a certified Mediator. He has written two books and numerous articles and authored various publications relating to law.

Justice Jamadar will officially assume office on July 15, succeeding Justice David Hayton who will be retiring from the Court after 14 years of service.