Regional body to overhaul legal Code of Ethics for BVI and all member countries

A regional body is currently tasked to revamp the Code of Ethics governing the legal fraternity of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC), which includes the BVI.

Chief Justice of the ECSC Dame Janice Pereira made that announcement while delivering her address via simulcast at the start of the New Law Year on Monday.

Pereira said: “Coming out of our judicial conference held in St Kitts in May of last year, in our training and discussions on the topics of judicial independence, and the code of ethics governing judicial conduct, it was apparent that the ECSC Code of Ethics which has been in place for many years now is in need of an overhaul with a view to strengthening the principles already captured therein.”

“[The overhaul is also] with the objective of providing a clearer and more meaningful expression of the principle of equality before the law,” she added.

The Chief Justice stated that the revamped code should embrace judicial officers at all levels across the Caribbean.

“To this end, I am also pleased to report that an ethics review committee was also established around the same time as the rules review committee. The ethics committee is composed of judicial officers of the Supreme Court as well as the magistracy. That committee is also hard at work. I express my deepest appreciation to its members for undertaking this task,” she noted.

The legal practitioner said the review is expected to be completed this year.