Vincentian re-elected unopposed as Chair of CCJ Trust Fund

Vincentian lawyer, accountant and politician Dr Linton Lewis has been re-elected unopposed as chair of the Trust Fund of the Caribbean Court of Justice.

His reappointment came on Monday, April 4 and according to Dr Lewis, “I was re-elected unopposed…I was able to secure the unanimous support of the all the directors.”{{more}}

The other board members are Christine Sahadeo (vice-chair), Chief Justice Ivor Archie, Oswald Barnes, Jasmine Davis, Ramesh Dookhoo, Farid Antar, Wilfred Abrahams, Musa Ibrahim, all of whom are distinguised members of academia or the professions.

Lewis became a member of the board in December 2009 and was elected chair in July 2013.

Prior to the CCJ being set up in 2005, concerns were expressed that if the judges of the Court were paid by Caribbean governments, heads of government could possibly exert decisive informal pressure on them to deliver judgements favourable to one government or the other. In order to pre-empt that eventuality and fund the Caribbean Court of Justice in perpetuity, a Trust Fund of US $100 million was established, so as to enable the expenditures of the Court to be financed by income from the Fund.

The Board of Trustees of the CCJ is responsible for directing the operations of the Fund.

Dr Lewis has also been issued with an identification card that affords him the same privilege and immunities as a diplomat. The ID card was issued by the protocol division of the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs of the government of Trinidad and Tobago.

Commenting on the identification card, Dr Lewis noted that the Revised Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice Trust Fund was passed as a law by each member state of Caricom and Article 12 of the said Agreement accords privileges and immunities to members of the board.