On Tuesday 10 th January 2023, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court will mark the
commencement of the New Law Year with its traditional Ceremonial Opening proceedings
under the theme “The ECSC: Navigating the Changing Tides”. This year the host Territory is
Anguilla, where the first scheduled sitting for the Court of Appeal for 2023 will take place.
In St Kitts and Nevis, the Ceremonial Opening will commence at 8:00 a.m. with a church
service at the Immaculate Conception Co-Cathedral Catholic Church, East Independence
Square, Basseterre, St. Kitts. The church service will be followed by the procession via Pond
Road to the High Court located at the Police Training School, Basseterre, St. Kitts, where the
formal Special Sitting of the Court will commence at 10:00 a.m.
In similar fashion to the past 2 years, there will be one Special Sitting throughout the 9 Member
States and Territories. The Chief Justice, Her Ladyship, Dame Janice M. Pereira, DBE, LL.D,
will deliver the feature address appearing live from the Court in Anguilla along with the other
speakers from Anguilla, while the speakers from the other 8 Member States and Territories will
appear remotely.
The church service will be broadcasted live on ZIZ Radio. The Special Sitting will be carried live
via Zoom to the Member States and Territories of the OECS and will also be live streamed via
the Court’s Website, Facebook Page and the websites and social media pages of the
Government Information Services in each Member State and Territory.
The public is encouraged to participate in the Ceremonial Opening of the Law Year 2023 by
attending either the church service and/or the Special Sitting or by watching and listening on the
various media platforms.
The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) was established in 1967 by the West Indies
Associated States Supreme Court Order No. 223 of 1967. The ECSC is a superior court of
record for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), including six independent
states: Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Federation of Saint
Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and three British Overseas
Territories (Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, and Montserrat). It has unlimited jurisdiction in each
member State.
To learn more about the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) please visit our website @
https://www.eccourts.org/ or call us at Tel: 758-457-3600
Opening of the New Law Year 2023
