Justice Winston Anderson Pledges Integrity and Collegiality as Fourth CCJ President

Hon. Mr. Justice Winston Anderson has expressed his commitment to leading the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) with integrity as its fourth President, noting that he will rely on the strength and support of his colleagues throughout his tenure.

This, even as he acknowledged beginning to feel the weight of the responsibility that comes with leading the region’s highest judicial institution.

“It feels fabulous. It’s a great honour, of course; it’s truly humbling. I have worked with many, many of the judges there and, of course, lots of the staff members, but I am feeling the weight of the responsibility right now. I am looking forward to leading the Court with integrity, with the support of my colleagues, both judicial and the management and staff of the Court,” Mr. Anderson said.

He was speaking with JIS News following the official swearing-in ceremony at the Jewel Grande Resort in Montego Bay, St. James, on Sunday (July 6).

Mr. Anderson stated that his 15 years of experience at the CCJ, along with his background in domestic and international law, will serve him well in his new role.

“I think my experience has been very useful, because… I have studied both international law and areas of domestic law. The fact is, the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas establishes the CSME (CARICOM Single Market and Economy), and the regulation of the CSME is based upon principles of international law… so that is very, very useful,” he explained.

The esteemed jurist added that, “areas of international law come into play when we are deciding appellate cases. So, I think the mixture of these two areas of law has really worked very, very well in terms of giving me a background to treat with all the cases that come before the Court”.

Meanwhile, Mr. Anderson extended a message to young people across the Caribbean who aspire to study law and other disciplines, encouraging them to pursue their dreams within the region and to believe in the promise of homegrown excellence.

“The brightest minds that we have in law from the faculty [at the University of the West Indies], from the lower schools, they stay here in the Caribbean, many of them do; and I think this is true as well for other young citizens in the region,” he said.

“The point we want to make is that the Caribbean is a place [where] you can realise your dreams, where you can live a good life. You don’t have to migrate to go and live anywhere else in order to experience a good life,” the CCJ President added.

He also urged citizens across the Caribbean to work together in shaping a better region, pledging the CCJ’s continued support in advancing that shared vision.

Looking to the future, Mr. Anderson told JIS News that he hopes to leave a “legacy of continued excellence and service” when his tenure as President concludes.

The CCJ Presidency is a non-renewable term of seven years or until the age of 72, whichever comes first.