PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The former President of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Sir Dennis Byron, Monday said the region has every confidence that under the stewardship of Justice Winston Anderson, the court “will not only flourish but will firmly secure its place as the indispensable guardian of justice in our region”.
Addressing a special sitting of the CCJ to commemorate the inauguration of the Jamaican-born jurist as the CCJ’s fourth president, Sir Dennis said that Justice Anderson’s life’s work has prepared him for “this very moment.
“In welcoming Justice Winston Anderson to the presidency of the Caribbean Court of Justice, we place our trust in a jurist of profound intellect, unwavering principle, and a heart dedicated to the people of this region,” said Sir Dennis, who served as the court’s second president, adding that in Justice Anderson, his record speaks with a clarity and force that needs little embellishment.
“He combines scholarship of the highest order with an unswerving commitment to justice, fairness, and the service of our Caribbean people. His intellect is not just sharp; it is generative.
“He is not only a consumer of jurisprudence but a creator of it. As the author of seminal textbooks and numerous publications, he has shaped the minds of a generation of Caribbean lawyers. It is not just his learning but the clarity with which he applies his knowledge.
“He thinks deeply about the law, not as an abstract set of rules, but as a living instrument for justice. His judicial legacy already speaks for itself. We need look no further than the landmark cases he himself identifies as pivotal,” said Sir Dennis, himself a jurist of international repute who served as President of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)..
He said that Justice Anderson’s concern for a just criminal system didn’t end in the courtroom and that it fuelled his visionary leadership as founder of the CCJ Academy for Law, culminating in the historic Needham’s Point Declaration.
“Its recommendations, for laws to support convictions with forensic science and recorded confessions, are precisely the tools needed to build effective cases against the guilty while protecting the innocent.
“And its significance was amplified by its unanimous endorsement by CARICOM governments, a powerful testament to the region’s acceptance of Justice Anderson’s leadership. This has provided a concrete, regionally-approved framework for our collective fight against crime.”
Sir Dennis recalled other cases involving the new CCJ president, saying, “These cases reveal a unifying thread: a mind dedicated to principle, a spirit committed to fairness, and an indefatigable drive to raise the standard of Caribbean jurisprudence.
“He possesses all the human virtues one would hope for in a judge: integrity, humility, and an unshakeable belief in the principles of humanity and the fundamental equality of all people before the law”.
Sir Dennis said that through the CCJ Academy, Justice Anderson has nurtured the next generation of lawyers, judges, and scholars.
He has also served the community in various capacities, including West Indian cricket governance, international environmental law, global arbitration, and education, always with a sense of duty and distinction.
“His judicial leadership has already been accepted internationally, not only in the citation of his decisions across jurisdictions both in and beyond the Caribbean, but also in the fact that he was chosen to serve as the head of the Apex Court in the Seychelles.”
Sir Dennis said that he worked with Justice Anderson and that he understands, in his very soul, “the value of a Caribbean court for the Caribbean people, a court that commands the confidence of our entire community, from the shores of Jamaica to the islands of Trinidad and beyond.
“He is a leader who embodies integrity, intellectual excellence, and humanity. At the heart of his vision lies a simple but profound truth: justice is for people, not abstractions. He believes, as I do, in the inherent dignity and equality of all.
“His leadership will resonate with all our communities, including the Indian diaspora in Trinidad and the wider Caribbean family, because he stands for justice that is inclusive, humane, and fair to all.”
He said that it’s this unique combination, his towering intellect, his demonstrable leadership, his deep humanity, “and his unwavering belief in our regional project, that makes him the ideal President for this moment.
“He is uniquely suited to win the confidence of the Caribbean community and to eloquently demonstrate the value of finally and fully embracing our own court. It is this unique combination —his towering intellect, his demonstrable leadership, his deep humanity, and his unwavering belief in our regional project —that makes him the ideal President for this moment.
“He is uniquely suited to win the confidence of the Caribbean community and to eloquently demonstrate the value of finally and fully embracing our own court,” Sir Dennis added.
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