The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) celebrated its 50th anniversary on February 27, 2017. To mark its golden jubilee the ECSC will host a number of celebratory activities in the various Member States and Territories, under the theme ‘Celebrating the Past, Embracing the Future’.

The legal fraternity in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will commemorate the court’s 50th anniversary with a series of activities beginning in the month of May 2017 and culminating in February 2018. They include radio and television programmes, public lectures, a poster and essay competition, an exhibition, promotional activities for the benefit of the homeless and marginalized and an open day at the court.

The celebratory events are aimed primarily at educating the public about the Court’s history and its integral role as the third and equally independent branch of government – the judiciary; heightening awareness, especially amongst the youth, about the role of the Court in fostering modern democracies within the Eastern Caribbean, safeguarding the fundamental rights of the citizens and promoting the idea of the rule of law as a prerequisite for the proper functioning of democracies. The achievements of outstanding members of the legal fraternity and auxiliary staff will be recognized as an integral part of the celebrations.

The Court was inaugurated on February 27, 1967, as a replacement to the Supreme Court of the Windward and Leeward Islands, which served the territories of the Eastern Caribbean that are now members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

The ECSC has jurisdiction in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The general public is invited to participate in celebrating this significant achievement of the peoples of this sub-region – the golden jubilee anniversary of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.