President of the Judicial Committee of the UK based Privy Council, Lord Reed, says he has asked the British government to invite senior judges from the jurisdictions that they serve to sit with them in an effort to understand the conditions of those countries from which appeal cases come.
Lord Reed made the statement on Wednesday while delivering a virtual lecture at an event put on by the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies.
Nora Gaye Banton reports.
The lecture was held under the theme, “Judicial Policy Construction by Apex Courts.”
The lecture comes as the debate continues about whether Jamaica should continue to cling to the Privy Council as its final appellate court or accede to the civil and criminal jurisdictions of the Caribbean Court of Justice, CCJ.
Some legal experts have asserted that Jamaica’s Apex Court should continue to be the Privy Council because they are far removed from the local conditions of a jurisdiction and assess a case with no preconceived biases.
However, this has also been a criticism of the Privy Council and a reason given for those advocating for the CCJ to be Jamaica’s final appellate court.
Lord Reed says he has recommended to the UK government that senior judges from the jurisdictions that they serve sit on the Privy Council.
He says Privy Council judges have also, over the years, taken the opportunity to sit in other jurisdictions that they serve in an effort to experience the hearings of cases in those locales.
Lord Reed also addressed the criticism that the Privy Council is inaccessible and expensive for litigants in Jamaica and other jurisdictions.
Lord Reed says the internet has increased the accessibility of the court.
Meanwhile, Lord Reed says the Privy Council is still eager to serve Jamaica.
Lord Reed, President of the Judicial Committee of the UK based Privy Council.
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