The Caribbean Court of Justice has announced the appointment of International Law Expert and former University Lecturer, Chantal Ononaiwu of Jamaica as the newest Judge on the Caribbean Court of Justice.
Justice Ononaiwu is now the second Jamaican national to join the Bench of the regional Court. She took her oath of office before the Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Patrick Allen, at King’s House in Kingston, Jamaica.
In his remarks during the ceremony, the President of the CCJ, Justice Adrian Saunders, said Justice Ononaiwu is not merely an expert in international law, but she is more specifically an expert in international trade law and an active practitioner in the field.
He said she has appeared as counsel before the CCJ in many of the Court’s seminal cases dealing with the Caribbean Single Market and Economy and added that she also has experience in adjudicating WTO international trade disputes.
The job she previously held involved negotiating international trade issues on behalf of the Caribbean Community.
Justice Ononaiwu was chosen from a pool of 12 applicants by the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC), which is an independent body of 11 individuals responsible for appointing the Judges and staff of the Caribbean Court.
It was explained that applicants must have either served as a judge for at least five years or have a minimum of 15 years of experience in the practice or teaching of law. Additionally, candidates are evaluated on criteria including high moral character, intellectual and analytical abilities, sound judgment, integrity, and an understanding of people and society.
“With over 20 years of legal experience, Justice Ononaiwu brings specialist expertise in Caribbean Community (CARICOM) law and international law, including international trade law. Her varied legal background includes roles as an adjudicator, litigator, legal advisor, and university lecturer. Mme Justice Ononaiwu also has significant expertise in commercial law, having worked in the international business and financial services sector as the Director of Value Proposition Development at Invest Barbados. Additionally, she served as Vice-Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce Digital Standards Initiative Legal Reform Advisory Board. She has also lectured on international trade and investment law, public international law, and criminal law at The University of the West Indies. Prior to her appointment to the CCJ, she served as Director of External Trade at the CARICOM Secretariat and previously as a Trade Policy and Legal Specialist”, the CCJ said.
In her remarks, Justice Ononaiwu said she is honoured to serve as a Judge of the region’s highest court.
She said the Caribbean Court of Justice plays a pivotal role in advancing the rule of law in CARICOM and building Caribbean jurisprudence. I will work assiduously with my colleagues in service of the Court’s mission to provide accessible, fair and efficient justice for the people and States of the Community.
Justice Ononaiwu’s appointment fills the vacancy left by Mr Justice Jacob Wit, one of the first judges appointed to the Court, who retired in December 2023 and passed away in January 2024.
In 2025, the President of the CCJ, Justice Adrian Saunders along with Justice Andrew Burgess will both be heading into retirement, paving the way for two more appointments to the regional Court.
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