COMMUNIQUE | CCJ ACADEMY FOR LAW 8TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE

PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 

1. Communique 

The 8^th Biennial Conference of the CCJ Academy for Law was held from November 26 to 28, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The theme of the conference was “The CCJ at 20: Reflections on Caribbean Jurisprudence.” This event marked the 20^th anniversary of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), with support from the European Union (EU), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), LexisNexis, and the Office of the Attorney-General of Trinidad and Tobago. 

The conference welcomed judges, attorneys general, legal practitioners, academics, media personalities and students. With 50 speakers delivering addresses and participating in moderated panel discussions on diverse themes, the conference was attended by more than 400 in-person registrants and on-line registrants. 

The conference critically examined seminal developments in the jurisprudence of the CCJ and other courts in the Region, as well as the role of stakeholders other than the judiciary in the future development of Caribbean jurisprudence. It provided a platform to explore contemporary legal issues and innovations and for meaningful dialogue among regional and international legal stakeholders. 

2. Opening Ceremony 

Welcome and opening remarks were delivered by the Honourable Madame Justice Chantal Ononaiwu, Judge of the CCJ, Deputy Chair of the CCJ Academy for Law and Conference Co-chair, and Lisa Shoman, SC, General Counsel of CARICOM.  

Remarks followed from representatives of the main collaborating partners of the Conference, namely, Her Excellency Cécile Tassin, Ambassador of the Delegation of the EU to Trinidad and Tobago, Anton Edmunds, General Manager of the Caribbean Country Department at the IDB, and Dr Isaac Solomon, Vice President of Operations at the CDB. 

A tribute to Mr Justice Jacob Wit was presented by the Honourable Mr Justice Winston Anderson, President of the CCJ and Chairman of the CCJ Academy for Law, who also formally declared the conference open. This was followed by the launch of the CCJ’s 20^th anniversary publication entitled The Caribbean Court of Justice, Striving for Excellence: 20 Years of Evolving Justice. 

The ceremony featured cultural presentations by John Thomas, Rhea Manley, Joshua Regrello, and Jaiso Mokos. 

The opening ceremony can be viewed here. 

Each day of the Conference was chaired consecutively by The Honourable Mme Justice Maureen Rajnauth-Lee, The Honourable Mr Justice Denys Barrow and the Honourable Mr. Justice Chile Eboe-Osuji, Judges of the CCJ.  

Over the course of the conference, fourteen (14) areas were discussed through a series of individual addresses, structured conversations, and presentations. The salient findings and areas discussed are recounted.  

3. Constitutional Law and Fundamental Rights 

Dr Timothy Affonso, Lecturer in Law at the University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine Campus, delivered an address entitled ‘Unchartered Territory: Constitut