CCJ President should be afforded sufficient latitude to implement vision – Guyana Bar Council

STATEMENT BY THE BAR COUNCIL OF THE BAR ASSOCIATION OF GUYANA ON MEDIA REPORTS CONCERNING THE LEAK OF INTERNAL CORRESPONDENCE AMONG THE JUDGES OF THE CARIBBEAN COURT OF JUSTICE

The Bar Council of the Bar Association of Guyana has noted with grave concern media reports concerning the leak of internal correspondence among the Judges of the Caribbean Court of Justice.

The Caribbean Court of Justice, as Guyana’s final appellate court and the only court vested with jurisdiction to interpret and apply the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, must remain a bastion of justice in the Caribbean. Its institutional integrity must therefore be respected, protected and preserved.

Internal correspondence and deliberations within the Court are, and must remain, confidential. By itself, the act of disclosing such correspondence—not its content—risks bringing the administration of justice into disrepute.

The legal profession expects and respects robust discussion among the members of the Court. The unauthorised disclosure of internal correspondence to the media would constitute a gross breach of confidence and a serious dereliction of duty by any person responsible.

The Bar Council believes that the President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, as the leader of the Court, should be afforded sufficient latitude to articulate and implement a vision for the Court and the principles governing its administration, with due regard to the Code of Judicial Conduct of the Caribbean Court of Justice.

The Bar Council expresses no view on the substance of the matters raised in the correspondence.