For the first time in its 21-year history, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will bring its itinerant judicial sittings to Saint Lucia next month, marking a major milestone in the regional court’s outreach mission. Scheduled to take place from October 7 to 8, 2026, the sittings will also double as the official opening ceremony for the CCJ’s 2026/2027 judicial year.
Saint Lucia is no stranger to the CCJ’s framework: it joined the court’s Appellate Jurisdiction in 2023, becoming the fifth member state of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to take this step. Prior to this upcoming visit, the CCJ has held itinerant sittings in four other CARICOM nations: Barbados, Belize, Guyana, and Jamaica.
The CCJ is designed with an itinerant operating model, which grants the court authority to convene legal proceedings in any signatory country of the Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice. This model aligns directly with the court’s core mission: delivering accessible, efficient, and meaningful justice to the people and states of CARICOM. By holding sittings across different regional nations, the court brings its work directly to the communities it serves, allowing local citizens to observe judicial proceedings first-hand while cutting down on travel expenses for legal representatives and litigants.
CCJ President Justice Winston Anderson emphasized the unique value of this traveling model, noting that itinerant sittings allow regional residents to engage directly with court members, build connections, and recognize that the CCJ is an institution rooted in Caribbean society, made up of members of the local community. During the Saint Lucia visit, the full seven-member CCJ bench will preside over three separate cases originating from Saint Lucia, Guyana, and Belize, and will also deliver final rulings on two additional cases from Belize.
Beyond judicial business, the CCJ delegation has planned a series of official courtesy calls with key Saint Lucian leaders, including Acting Governor-General His Excellency Felix Finisterre, Prime Minister the Honourable Philip J. Pierre, Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Her Ladyship the Honourable Margaret Price Findlay, Attorney General the Honourable Leslie Vincent Mondesir, and Leader of the Opposition the Honourable Allen Chastanet.
For community members unable to attend the proceedings in person, the CCJ has opened access to a public livestream of the sittings, which will be broadcast via the court’s official website, social media channels, and YouTube page. Full details of the case schedule, including information on each matter to be heard, is available to the public on the CCJ’s website through the Judgments and Proceedings portal at www.ccj.org.