Top things to know
- Former Jamaica Attorney General A.J. Nicholson has written an open letter to CCJ judges saying 'public bickering' must be shunned.
- Nicholson says the court was never intended to provide judges with a platform for public bickering.
- The letter follows leaks of judges' private correspondence and internal disputes at the Trinidad-based court.
- CCJ President Justice Winston Anderson has denied allegations of panel manipulation, and the RJLSC has announced a review.
Former Jamaica Attorney General A.J. Nicholson has issued an open letter to judges of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), stating that "public bickering" must be shunned and that the court was never intended to provide a platform for it.Nicholson, who served as deputy to the first two chairpersons of the Preparatory Committee for the Establishment of the CCJ, said the recent leaking of judges' private correspondence in Port of Spain ran contrary to the vision of the court's founders. He said the CCJ was meant to be a "temple of justice" and that "nothing of the sort falls within the collegial functions of any judge and, respectfully, must be shunned!" The letter follows a period of internal controversy at the Trinidad-based court, including allegations of judicial panel manipulation, which CCJ President Justice Winston Anderson has strongly denied, and a subsequent complaint by Justice Peter Jamadar accusing Justice Anderson of administrative overreach. The Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission has said a "transparent and independent review" will be undertaken.