The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will hold its first-ever sittings in Saint Lucia on 7 and 8 October 2026, convening in the island to commemorate the Opening of the Judicial Year 2026/2027.
The Port of Spain-based court said the historic sittings will mark the first time it has sat in Saint Lucia, extending its reach beyond its seat in Trinidad and Tobago and its occasional hearings in other member states.
The CCJ is the judicial institution of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and combines an original jurisdiction that interprets the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas with an appellate jurisdiction that serves as the final court of appeal for those member states that have replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council with the regional court.
Saint Lucia is not among the countries that have adopted the CCJ as their final appellate court, but the sittings there will still carry significance for the wider Eastern Caribbean, where several states have made the switch and others continue to debate it.
The Opening of the Judicial Year is an annual ceremony at which the CCJ reviews its work, outlines priorities and welcomes new judges. Holding the event outside Trinidad and Tobago is a departure from tradition and reflects the court's stated aim of bringing its work closer to the people of the region.
For Dominica, which is a member of CARICOM and of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, the sittings in neighbouring Saint Lucia are a reminder of the court's growing presence in the sub-region. Dominica has not adopted the CCJ as its final court of appeal, and appeals from Dominican courts continue to go to the Privy Council in London.
The CCJ's original jurisdiction is open to all CARICOM member states, and its rulings on treaty matters apply across the community, including in Dominica. The court also hears disputes between states and between states and community institutions.
The announcement did not say which judges would sit in Saint Lucia or which cases, if any, would be heard during the two-day visit. The court is expected to release a detailed programme closer to the date.
Regional legal observers have noted that the CCJ has held sittings outside Trinidad and Tobago before, but the October 2026 event in Saint Lucia will be the first time the court has convened there for the Opening of the Judicial Year.
The sittings are scheduled for Tuesday, 7 October and Wednesday, 8 October 2026. Further information on the programme, including any public sessions, is expected from the court in the coming months.
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