CARICOM heads to court to appease Trinidad’s Prime Minister
CARICOM leaders have agreed to seek the opinion of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in an effort to resolve Trinidad & Tobago’s objection to the reappointment of the regional body’s Secretary-General.
The decision came during a CARICOM Heads of Government retreat on July 6 after Trinidad & Tobago maintained its concerns over the process used to reappoint Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett.
In a statement, CARICOM said the move was made after the twin-island republic requested that the issue be referred to the CCJ for an advisory opinion under Article 212 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
“The Community agrees to commence proceedings to secure such advisory opinion,” the statement said, adding that interpreting the treaty is “the very purpose for which the CCJ was created.”
The agreement effectively preserves the current arrangement, with Dr Barnett remaining in her post until CARICOM receives and considers the court’s opinion.
The dispute has simmered for months after Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar publicly challenged the process used to reappoint Dr Barnett shortly after returning to office. Her public criticism prompted CARICOM to issue a rare response, urging that disagreements among member states be handled privately through the Community’s established mechanisms rather than aired in public.
Persad-Bissessar’s stance also drew criticism from several commentators and political observers across the Caribbean, who argued that her approach risked creating unnecessary division within the regional bloc at a time when unity was needed to confront shared economic and geopolitical challenges.
Despite that backlash, Trinidad & Tobago continued to press for an independent legal interpretation of the treaty, a request that CARICOM has now agreed to facilitate through the CCJ.
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It seems that CARICOM is not just caving in to demands of Trinidad and Tobago. If Trinidad’s objection poses a real question as to whether the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas was correctly followed, that is, whether the right procedure was followed, the right body made the decision or the required consultations were held, then it is a legal issue and not a political issue. It is therefore consistent with the rule-based system of CARICOM to refer the issue to the Caribbean Court of Justice. The court does not appoint the Secretary-General, it interprets the treaty. Significantly, CARICOM has not withdrawn the reappointment of Dr. Carla Barnett nor re-initiated the screening process and she remains in office while the CCJ considers the legal question. If Trinidad’s concerns had been the only cause for her suspension or firing, the case for appeasement would have been much stronger. Instead, they wanted a formal interpretation of the pact that kept the status quo. If the CCJ determines that Trinidad’s complaints are justified, then CARICOM will have prevented the execution of a flawed method.
To hell with TNT. They act like they are more south american anywway. So kick them out of Caricom and move on. Their killers roam the Caribbean executing hit jobs and then running back to TNT into hiding until they get hired again. Caricom does not benefit from TNT in any meaningful way.