Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Caribbean court system established under the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

This article is about the superior court of record for OECS member states. For the appeal court of the Caribbean Community, see Caribbean Court of Justice.

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Established| 27 February 1967 (1967-02-27)
Jurisdiction|

List of countries

*  Antigua and Barbuda
*  Dominica
*  Grenada
*  Saint Kitts and Nevis
*  Saint Lucia
*  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
*  Anguilla
*  British Virgin Islands
*  Montserrat

Location| Castries, Saint Lucia (Headquarters)
Motto| Fiat Justitia ("Let there be Justice")
Composition method| Appointed by the Monarch (Chief Justice) and the Judicial and Legal Services Commission (Other Judges)
Authorised by| Supreme Court Order
Appeals to| Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
Caribbean Court of Justice
Appeals from| Magistrates' Courts
High Courts
Language| English
Website| www.eccourts.org
Chief Justice
Currently| Margaret Price-Findlay (acting)
Since| 5 May 2025 (2025-05-05)

The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is a superior court of record for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS),[1] including six independent states: Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and three British Overseas Territories (Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, and Montserrat). It has unlimited jurisdiction in each member State.

## History

[edit]

The ECSC was established in 1967 by the West Indies Associated States Supreme Court Order No. 223 of 1967. In relation to Grenada, the Court is styled "the Supreme Court of Grenada and the West Indies Associated States". See section 105 of the Grenada Constitution.

## Functions

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The functions of the ECSC are as follows:

* To interpret and apply the laws of the various member states of the OECS;
* To decide cases of both civil and criminal matters;
* To hear appeals.

## Appeals from the ECSC

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Appeals from the ECSC can be lodged in defined cases to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the United Kingdom (in cases from Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, and Montserrat) or the Caribbean Court of Justice in Trinidad and Tobago (for cases from Dominica and Saint Lucia[2]).

## Composition

[edit]

### Judges

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To be a judge or master of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, a person must have served as a judge in a Commonwealth jurisdiction or be qualified to act as a lawyer in a Commonwealth jurisdiction. An appointee does not need to be a national, judge, or lawyer of a country within the jurisdiction of the Court. The Chief Justice is appointed by the King of the United Kingdom by Letters Patent as advised by the Lord Chancellor.[3] Other judges are appointed on behalf of the King by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission.[clarification needed]

High Court Judges and Masters are assigned to reside in and hear cases from a specific member state. It is common for judges to be asked to work in countries other than their home state. Judges are only occasionally assigned to reside in Montserrat and Anguilla—because of the small population of these countries, judges from the other jurisdictions hear cases that arise from these two jurisdictions. The Court of Appeal is itinerant and travels to the various countries to hear appeals.

Judges have life tenure but Justices of Appeal must retire when they are 65 and High Court Judges must retire when they are 62. Extensions of up to three years may be granted by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission only if all of the states agree to such an extension.

### Current composition

[edit]

Name | Home state | Position | Appointed to current position

|
|
|

Margaret Price-Findlay |  Trinidad and Tobago | Chief Justice (acting) | 2025
Gerard Farara |  British Virgin Islands | Justice of Appeal [Ag.] | 2020
Trevor Ward |  Trinidad and Tobago | Justice of Appeal | 2022
Margaret Price-Findlay |  Trinidad and Tobago | Justice of Appeal | 2022
Vicki Ann Ellis |  Saint Lucia | Justice of Appeal | 2022
Eddy Ventose |  Saint Lucia | Justice of Appeal | 2024
Esco Henry |  Montserrat | Justice of Appeal | 2024

#### High Court Judges

[edit]

Anguilla

* Ermin Moise

Antigua and Barbuda

* Nicola Petra Byer
* Ann-Marie Smith
* Jan Drysdale
* Rene Williams
* Tunde Ademola Bakre [Ag.]

Dominica

* Colin Williams
* Jacqueline Josiah-Graham

Grenada

* Paula Gilford
* Raulston Glasgow
* Shawn Innocent
* Agnes Actie

Montserrat

* Dale Francis Fitzpatrick

Saint Kitts and Nevis

* Iain Charles Morley, KC
* Patrick Thompson Jr. (Nevis Circuit)
* Tamara Gill

Saint Lucia

* Wynante Adrien-Roberts
* Cadie St. Rose- Albertini
* Vivian Georgis Taylor-Alexander
* Kimberly Cenac-Phulgence
* Rohan Phillip
* Alvin Pariagsingh
* Rechanne Browne

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

* Brian Cottle
* Birnie Stephenson
* Rickie Burnett
* Richard Floyd [Ag.]
* Gertel Thom [Ag.]

British Virgin Islands

* Angelica Teelucksingh
* Sonya Young
* Gerhard Wallbank [Ag.]
* Paul Webster [Ag.]

### Chief Justices

[edit]

Name | Home state | Dates

|
|

Allen Montgomery Lewis |  Saint Lucia | 1967–1972
P. Cecil Lewis (acting) |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1972–1975
Maurice Davis |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1975–1980
Neville Peterkin |  Grenada | 1981–1983
Neville Berridge (acting) |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1983–1984
Lascelles Robotham |  Jamaica | 1984–1991
Vincent Floissac |  Saint Lucia | 1991–1996
Charles Michael Dennis Byron |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1996–2004 (acting 1996–1999)
Adrian Saunders (acting) |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 2004–2005
Brian George Keith Alleyne (acting) |  Dominica | 2005–2008
Hugh Anthony Rawlins |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 2008–2012
Janice Pereira |  British Virgin Islands | 2012–2024
Mario Michel (acting) |  Saint Lucia | 2024–2025
Margaret Price-Findlay (acting) |  Trinidad and Tobago | 2025–present

## Location

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The Headquarters of the ECSC is in Castries, Saint Lucia, where it is located on the second floor of the Heraldine Rock Building, Block B, on the Waterfront. The building houses the Justices of Appeal's chambers, the Court of Appeal Registry, the Judicial Education Institute, Library, and the Administrative Services.

In addition, there are Court Offices in the nine Member States, which house the chambers of the High Court Judges and the offices of the High Court Registry. Each High Court Registry is headed by a legally trained Registrar who provides the necessary administrative and legal support for the functioning of the High Court.

## Notable people

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* David Courtenay Harris, High Court Judge

## See also

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* Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
* Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC)
* Caribbean Court of Justice

## References

[edit]

1. ^ John Hatchard (ed.) Directory of Commonwealth Law Schools 2003-2004. Cavendish Publishing. 2003. ISBN 1-85941-758-2; page 122.
2. ^ "In Saint Lucia, parliament passes constitutional amendment to replace Privy Council with Caribbean Court of Justice as final court of appeal". ConstitutionNet. 2 March 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
3. ^ "Vacancy Notice – Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court". Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. Retrieved 11 September 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court website

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Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)

Members|

* Antigua and Barbuda
* Dominica
* Grenada
* Montserrat
* St. Kitts and Nevis
* St. Lucia
* St. Vincent and the Grenadines

* Caribbean portal

Associate members|

* Anguilla
* British Virgin Islands
* Guadeloupe
* Martinique

Financial institutions|

* Eastern Caribbean dollar
* Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
* Eastern Caribbean Central Securities Registry
* Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange

Other institutions|

* Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority
* Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
* Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority

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