The Appointment of the Chief Justice
By P J. Husband

It is regrettable that Mr. Justice Brian Alleyne who acted meritoriously as Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean States did not get his acting appointment confirmed before his retirement, because of the opposition of the Prime Minister of Grenada. For a time it seemed to be the rule that if your Island Home supported you, that was all that was required. (Mr Justice Alleyne hails from Dominica) The last Chief Justice (The Hon. Mr.Justce Dennis Byron) suffered for 3 years because of this. His Island home is St.Kitts and the opposition to his appointment came from the Prime Minister of St.Kitts who seemed to have relented after 3years.

It is not always realised that this absence of appointment affects the individual’s pension and other rights. It is generally agreed that the appointment of a C.J.. should not be left to the politcians of the O.E.C S,..In places where there is only one Prime Minister. e.g .Barbados, his nay or yea brings an end to the process. It is a different ball game with 7 prime ministers. Something must be done to correct this unsatisfactory situation.