By Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General Today in India and Bangladesh, millions of people are hunkered down in shelters, many with masks on their faces – a chilling reminder of the COVID-19 outbreak that still grips the densely populated countries. Forced to flee their homes, families, some migrant workers who have […]
Caribbean News
News from the Caribbean
Commonwealth health ministers agree to share advice and solutions in coronavirus battle
20 May 2020: Commonwealth health ministers have agreed to coordinate their response in tackling the coronavirus pandemic. Ministers endorsed removing fees for coronavirus tests and treatment, especially for migrants and refugees, as appropriate within national contexts, and creating a voluntary mechanism to share and distribute extra medical supplies including ventilators […]
GLOBAL PANDEMIC UNDERSCORES MEASUREMENT ACCURACY IMPORTANCE ON WORLD METROLOGY DAY
May 20, 2020, Bridgetown, BARBADOS – Regional metrologists (measurement experts), as well as their international counterparts, are today celebrating World Metrology Day (May 20th) by recognising the increasing importance their work will have to play in the current climate and the future economic recovery. The CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards […]
CCJ ACADEMY FOR LAW PRESENTS ITS FIRST WEBINAR SERIES
Port of Spain, Trinidad. The Caribbean Court Justice (CCJ) Academy for Law is pleased to announce that, in partnership with the General Legal Council of Jamaica, it will convert its 6th Biennial Conference, originally scheduled for December 2020, into three online conferences. The CCJ Academy is also collaborating with UWI […]
SAINT LUCIA ANNOUNCES PLAN FOR REOPENING OF TOURISM SECTOR ON JUNE 4
The Government of Saint Lucia has announced a phased approach to reopening the island’s tourism sector in a responsible fashion, beginning June 4, 2020. The strategy, which was unveiled by Minister of Tourism Dominic Fedee, protects nationals and visitors from the threat of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) through advance testing; daily […]
Commonwealth Secretary-General urges breaking the silence on International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia
May 17, 2020: International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia takes place on 17 May. This year’s theme is ‘Breaking the Silence’, which seeks to highlight the voices of the most vulnerable and marginalised in society while embracing our individual identities. The following is a statement from the Commonwealth Secretary-General […]
CCJ CALLS FOR SENTENCING GUIDELINES IN CHILD SEXUAL OFFENCE CASE
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. In a judgment released today, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) allowed the appeal and thus reduced the sentence in the child sexual offence case of Linton Pompey v The Director of Public Prosecutions [2020] CCJ 7 (AJ) GY. The Court, which consisted of […]
Commonwealth countries must maintain essential non-Covid health care while tackling coronavirus pandemic
8 May 2020: Countries should maintain essential health care to non-Covid-19 patients while dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. This is a message from Secretary-General Patricia Scotland ahead of the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting taking place virtually on 14 May. Some countries have temporarily suspended cancer treatment and surgery to help […]
CCJ GIVES GUIDANCE ON UNFAIR DISMISSAL IN BARBADOS APPEAL
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. In a judgment released today, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) dismissed an appeal against the finding of unfair dismissal and partly allowed the appeal against compensation in the matter of Chefette Restaurants Limited v Orlando Harris [2020] CCJ 6 (AJ).Additionally, the CCJ ordered […]
Pro bono legal support to help developing countries through Covid-19 crisis
29 April : The Commonwealth is joining forces with law firms to give member countries expert help on mitigating the devastating effects of Covid-19 on people’s livelihoods. The Covid-19 Business Law Response Initiative (COBULRI) will offer guidance and knowledge to governments of developing countries in particular as they rapidly adjust legislation […]
Commonwealth Secretary-General available to discuss effects of Covid-19 on women, health services, young people and education
29 April 2020Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland is available to speak about how Covid-19 is affecting women, disrupting health services, hitting young people and impacting education. Discussion topics: Gender Crises, including pandemics, have a habit of feeding on gender inequalities and seeing women and men experiencing different exposure patterns and risks. […]
Startling digital divides in distance learning emerge
Paris, 20 April—Half of the total number of learners – some 826 million students – kept out of the classroom by the COVID-19 pandemic, do not have access to a household computer and 43% (706 million) have no internet at home, at a time when digitally-based distance learning is used […]
Coronavirus and climate disasters – Small vulnerable countries face dual threats
By Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General The widespread destruction wreaked by Tropical Cyclone Harold in several Pacific countries just days ago has been nothing short of heart-breaking. At least 32 people have died, while more than 45,000 men, women and children in Vanuatu’s hardest-hit province, Sanma, are now homeless. In Tonga, […]
Gender equality, critical to national development in a post-COVID Trinidad and Tobago
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago – 16 April, 2020 (TTO): The Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL), wishes to congratulate the government of Trinidad and Tobago on their strategic response to the COVID-19 crisis. Women are largely at the forefront in the respond to COVID-19, as those caring for the […]
Statement By The CCJ President on the Court’s 15th Anniversary
Today, 16 April 2020, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) marks 15 years of serving the region. Admittedly, while our current global environment is a sombre one as we fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, we feel it necessary to acknowledge this milestone and the work of all the employees from […]
