A landmark youth legal education initiative has equipped more than 100 young people in Grenada with critical knowledge of their legal rights, civic responsibilities, and the regional justice system. The full-day Youth Symposium, organized jointly by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) and the Canada-based Justice Education Society (JES), marks the second successful iteration of a regional outreach effort launched last year.
Hosted as a core activity under the Judicial Strengthening for the Eastern Caribbean (JES-EC) Project — a multi-nation capacity-building initiative fully funded by the Government of Canada — the event brought together in-person youth participants from across Grenada, alongside virtual attendees from multiple other Eastern Caribbean island nations. Attendees got the rare opportunity to engage in interactive, practical learning alongside sitting judges, practicing legal professionals, senior law enforcement officers, and local community leaders.
Over the course of the symposium, participants delved into a wide range of legal and social topics specifically selected to address the most pressing concerns facing young people in the region. The curriculum covered core subjects including the structure and function of local and regional courts, business and entrepreneurship law, foundational estate planning and property rights, alternative dispute resolution through mediation, the growing harms of cyberbullying, the framework of community policing, prevention of gender-based violence, and strategies for making informed positive life choices.
One of the most valued features of the event was the unstructured direct engagement between youth participants and justice sector leaders. Unlike traditional public legal education events that rely on one-way lectures, this symposium created space for young people to ask candid questions, share their own lived experiences and perspectives on justice issues, and gain actionable knowledge that supports informed decision-making and active civic participation.
The Grenada symposium builds on the success of the inaugural regional youth symposium held in Saint Lucia in 2025. It forms a key part of the JES-EC Project’s broader Public Legal Education and Information (PLEI) programme, which has a region-wide mandate to boost overall legal literacy, expand equitable access to justice services, and empower young people across the Eastern Caribbean.
Organizers confirmed that the successful model will be expanded to other nations in the coming months, with future symposium events already planned for Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. “At JES, we are proud to work alongside the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, with the support of the Government of Canada, to improve access to justice and equip the next generation with the knowledge and confidence to shape more just, inclusive and resilient communities,” representatives of the organizing committee shared in an official statement following the Grenada event.