PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Justice Chile Eboe-Osuji was sworn in on Tuesday as a judge of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) with the court’s president, Justice Adrian Saunders, expressing confidence that he will make an important contribution to the development of the Caribbean’s jurisprudence.

The new judge took the oath of office before Trinidad and Tobago’s President, Christine Kangaloo at the president’s house.

“The CCJ has been unwavering in its pursuit of its vision of becoming a model of judicial excellence. Today, the CCJ has taken another important step in pursuit of the vision by adding Justice Eboe-Osuji to its ranks.

“Justice Eboe-Osuji is a brilliant legal mind and a gifted jurist whose long and distinguished career has, as we have heard, spanned many countries and institutions,” President Kangaloo said.

Justice Eboe-Osuji, the first Nigerian-Canadian to be appointed to the court, replaces Justice Andrew Burgess, who retired on April 11, 2025.

He was selected from a pool of 26 applicants by the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC), an independent body of 11 individuals responsible for appointing the judges and staff of the court.

Justice Saunders described the process for the recruitment as “one of, if not the most sacred role carried out by the RJLSC”.

“The selection and appointment process is rigorous, competitive, merit-based and entirely independent of any political involvement,” he said, welcoming the new judge while indicating that “Mr Justice Eboe-Osuji has an impeccable record of service as a lawyer and jurist”.

“I have no doubt that (he) will make an important contribution to the development of our Caribbean jurisprudence.”

Justice Eboe-Osuji is an international jurist who brings expertise in criminal law and human rights law to the CCJ. He practised law as a barrister before trial courts in Nigeria and Canada and conducted appeals before the Court of Appeal for Ontario (Canada) and the Supreme Court of Canada.

He previously served as a judge and president of the International Criminal Court and was the legal advisor to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. He also led the writing of amicus curiae submissions to the European Court of Human Rights and the United States Supreme Court. His diverse legal background also includes several posts as a legal advisor, published author and professor.

He told the ceremony, “The court serves its purpose not only as a court for Caricom (Caribbean Community) nations to resolve disputes arising from the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas but also there is no need to look beyond the seas for a final court of appeal, given the quality of judges we have on that bench and it is an incredible honour for me to have been selected.”

Judges of the CCJ, which was established in 2001 to replace the London-based Privy Council as the region’s highest and final court, are appointed to hold office until the age of 72, while the president of the court holds office for a non-renewable term of seven years.