New Code of Ethics To Govern Judges Conduct

Contact: John Emmanuel

Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Sir Denis Byron has been briefing members of the media on the outcome of two major conferences held in St. Lucia last week by the regional judiciary. According to Chief Justice Byron, strategies on how best to serve the public and speed-up cases through the legal system, were among the main agenda items when judges, regional magistrates, court masters and registrars commenced their deliberations.

Also high on the agenda was the issue of the setting up of Judicial Council charged with the responsibility of continuing the process of judicial reform taking place in the region. It will critically examine the judiciary in an attempt to bring it under proper self-governance aimed at maintaining independence as a separate and functioning entity.

“This does not mean that anyone felt that our independence was threatened, far from that. What this means is that all matters relating to the functioning of the judiciary should be managed more effectively by the judiciary,” said Sir Denis.

The eight-member Judicial Council will play a consultative role in the management of regional judicial affairs, and will comprise the Chief Justice, two judges, two magistrates, two registrars and one court master. 

The conference also examined the coming into effect of the Civil Procedures Rules. The application of these rules is expected to reduce delays in civil practice while advancing the delivery of justice in the region. Meantime much progress was made at the two conferences in ratifying the Code of Judicial Ethics.  This code is expected to govern conduct of judges.

Said the Chief Justice: “It is the first time in our jurisdiction that we’ve actually reduced a code of ethics to writing and publish it in a documentary format. To a large extent what we produce in writing were the principles that governed judicial conduct in the past. So in one sense it is really a documentation of principles and documentation that really affected the conduct and behaviour of judges. However, we think it’s significant nonetheless because it now removes the possibility of ambiguity as to what those principles are. They are now clearly identified in writing so that everyone knows what they are.”

A complaints mechanism is also being put in place where members of the public can seek redress is they believe that their rights have been violated by judges on the bench.

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