Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Justice Margaret Price Findlay yesterday urged the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to safeguard its independence while remaining engaged with the people it serves, saying constructive relationships with lawyers, governments and communities could strengthen public confidence.

Speaking at the opening of the CCJ’s first itinerant sitting in St Lucia yesterday, which marked the commencement of its 2026–2027 judicial year, Justice Price Findlay said Caribbean citizens increasingly expected courts to deliver justice in a timely, transparent and responsive manner.

Drawing on the experience of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, which serves several jurisdictions, she offered a pointed observation on the relationship between judicial independence and engagement.

“If we may impart any learning from our own experiences as a sub-regional judiciary, it is that while you safeguard your independence, let it not be in isolation,” she said.

There were valuable contributions to be gained from the legal profession, governments, academic professionals and the communities served by the courts, she added.

“Engaging constructively with these stakeholders will strengthen your court’s capacity to meet their needs and to bolster public confidence while observing the necessary constitutional boundaries that preserve the separation of powers”, she added.

Justice Price Findlay said technological and economic changes, together with evolving societal needs, were making the legal landscape increasingly complex. The CCJ therefore had to remain steadfast in its constitutional mandate while ensuring that its approach to justice kept pace with conditions across its jurisdictions.

She said the opening of a judicial year should involve more than preparing a schedule of hearings and judgments. It was also an opportunity to reconsider approaches in light of earlier challenges and build on the court’s successes.

The CCJ and the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court faced common difficulties as regional judicial institutions, she noted, and could benefit from exchanging knowledge and experience.

She identified technological innovation, case management and changes to practice and procedure as areas in which the experience of one judiciary could assist another.

“Whether it be in relation to technological innovation, novel approaches to case management, or revisions to practice and procedure, our experiences as individual judiciaries can be useful and vicarious lessons for each other in tackling the many facets of the administration of justice,” she said.

Justice Price Findlay welcomed the decision to hold the sitting in St Lucia, saying it allowed citizens to experience in person the regional court at the apex of their judicial system.

St Lucia became the fifth CARICOM member state to accept the CCJ’s appellate jurisdiction in 2023. The court has previously held itinerant sittings in Barbados, Belize, Guyana and Jamaica. 

The Chief Justice described the visit as an affirmation of the CCJ’s commitment to accessibility and its connection with regional communities.

She also acknowledged the staff of both courts who had worked over several months to prepare for the sitting, and expressed the hope that the new judicial year would bring renewed purpose, stronger regional relationships and continued judicial excellence.