New Law Year to open in January for the first time

For the first time, the law year of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) will open in January.

The new law year has been typically held during September, and it ends in July of the following year.

Efforts to contact the Supreme Court and the Office of the Deputy Governor for the reason behind the change were unsuccessful.

Ceremony

In the meantime, the ceremony to mark the start of the new law year will be held on the fourth floor of the Sakal Building in Road Town on Monday.

There, a special sitting in all Member States of the ECSC via simulcast will take place.

The proceeding’s featured address will be given by Chief Justice Dame Janice Pereira via video link at 10 am.

Prior to that, there will be a church service at the Road Town Methodist Church at 8 am.

“This will be followed by a procession of the Judiciary, Magistracy and Bar Association Members from the round-a-bout in Road Town, along the Sir Walter Francis Drive Dual Carriage Way to culminate with a Guard of Honour on parade at the High Court, located at Sakal Place next to the Festival Village,” a government-commissioned release stated.

“The parade will comprise of officers of Her Majesty’s Royal Virgin Islands Police Force and Her Majesty’s Prison and will be inspected by His Excellency the Governor, Augustus Jaspert and Her Ladyship the Honourable Madam Justice Vicki Ann Ellis, senior resident judge.”

This year’s theme will be ‘A New Era for the ECSC: The Road to Achieving Court Excellence’.