A landmark ruling delivered by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in the high-profile Derek Ramsamooj case is poised to deliver far-reaching consequences for the business climate across the entire Caribbean region, according to a regional team of legal experts representing the claimant.
In their official response following the court’s decision, the legal team emphasized that the CCJ’s judgment establishes critical new precedent shaping how business owners and private citizens operate and move freely within the broader CARICOM community. The court explicitly acknowledged that the rights enshrined in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas — the foundational agreement governing CARICOM economic integration — cannot function effectively without robust protection for fundamental human rights standards, the legal team noted.
This establishment of a binding regional human rights baseline will be broadly welcomed by CARICOM citizens who work in trade and service provision across member states, the team added. In turn, this ruling strengthens the core goal of deeper economic integration that has anchored the CARICOM project since its founding.
Leading the legal team, attorney Justin Phelps, who articulated the group’s position, shared that the team has been reassured by the court’s findings surrounding the treatment of their client, Ramon Ramsamooj, a well-known Surinamese political analyst and researcher. Phelps explained that since 2020, Ramsamooj has been the target of a politically motivated campaign designed to inflict severe personal and professional harm. The campaign has already left Ramsamooj with serious, irreversible damage to his reputation and career, according to the legal team.
“We are satisfied that his position has now been vindicated,” the team of attorneys stated. They added that Ramsamooj currently resides in Haiti, where he works as a governance and public administration consultant. Once he returns to Suriname, his legal team will launch additional legal proceedings to secure a formal declaration of innocence from Surinamese national courts.
The full defense team — which also includes Navindra Ramnanan, Milton Castelen and Chase Pegus — praised the CCJ for the speed with which it resolved the case, noting that the court handled arguments from both sides in a balanced, respectful manner, giving each party full opportunity to present their positions before delivering a considered ruling.