President of the Jamaican Senate, King’s Counsel Tom Tavares-Finson says it would be extremely reckless for Jamaica to commit to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as its final appellate court given the turmoil currently gripping the institution.

The Trinidad Express reported earlier this week a series of allegations made by judges of the CCJ, including allegations of dictatorial tendencies in the running of the court and a series of inter-personal conflict.

Tavares-Finson says no less than a public enquiry is required to deal with the issues facing the CCJ.
While acknowledging that inter-personal conflicts is not unusual for a court, he said the allegation surrounding the convening of panels to achieve pre-desired outcomes is troubling and must be treated seriously.

Tavares-Finson says the Opposition People’s National Party, whose insistence that Jamaica must accept the CCJ as its final appellate court has stalled the island’s constitutional reform process, should state clearly whether it maintains its position despite the turmoil which has gripped the regional court.