GROS ISLET, St Lucia — The CARICOM Secretary-General reappointment dispute was referred to the Caribbean Court of Justice on Tuesday, after Heads of Government meeting in St Lucia sided with objections raised by Trinidad and Tobago over how Dr Carla Barnett’s second term was extended. The decision came out of the Retreat of Heads of Government held on July 6, during the bloc’s 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government.
CARICOM said in a statement that it would initiate proceedings before the CCJ to seek an advisory opinion interpreting the treaty provisions governing the reappointment process. The community noted that treaty interpretation was among the core reasons the court was established under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
What Happens Next for the CARICOM Secretary-General Reappointment
Pending the court’s opinion and the bloc’s consideration of it, CARICOM said the status quo will hold, meaning Barnett’s reappointment for a further five-year term remains in effect for now. The bloc framed the referral as consistent with a broader governance review mandated at the previous Conference of Heads of Government in St Kitts and Nevis, describing it as an effort to strengthen institutions rather than question any individual’s integrity.
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had pressed for the reference under Article 212 of the Revised Treaty, which allows CARICOM to ask the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) for an advisory opinion on questions of treaty interpretation.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Objections
Barnett’s reappointment was announced during the February leaders’ summit in St Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago has since disputed the process used. Details of Persad-Bissessar’s position were first reported by the Trinidad Express, which described a 22-page letter the prime minister sent to CARICOM Chairman Philip J Pierre ahead of the summit.
In the letter, Persad-Bissessar said her country did not recognise the validity of the reappointment process and could not accept the legality of Barnett’s second term. She argued that the matter never appeared as an agenda item in any circulated working paper, and that Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, and The Bahamas were prevented from participating through their designated representatives. She maintained the objection was procedural rather than personal, stating the dispute concerned the legality of the process and not any individual.
The prime minister also proposed that Barnett and CARICOM’s General Counsel recuse themselves from the advisory proceedings, with the Deputy Secretary-General or an independent body handling matters in the interim. CARICOM’s own statement did not confirm whether recusal measures were adopted.
Jamaica Adds Its Voice
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness also wrote to the CARICOM chairman on July 5, saying Jamaica was not seeking to overturn the reappointment but remained concerned that the process used had not resolved the matter or served the spirit of the Revised Treaty. Holness said the explanations offered so far had neither advanced procedural certainty nor reassured member states, and he urged stronger engagement between Trinidad and Tobago and the Secretariat.
The emergence of separate letters from two member states ahead of the retreat made the reappointment process one of the dominant issues of the four-day summit, alongside the wider governance review already under discussion.
St Lucia’s Role at the Helm
The dispute played out under the chairmanship of St Lucia Prime Minister Philip J Pierre, who received both the Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica letters and presided over the retreat where the referral was agreed. CARICOM’s statement credited the chairmanship with facilitating consensus among the Heads of Government, allowing the bloc to move forward on the matter despite the underlying disagreement.
CARICOM leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the ideals of the community and said they intend to continue advancing regional interests together, acknowledging the range of challenges currently facing the bloc. The CCJ’s advisory opinion, once delivered, will determine how the reappointment question is ultimately resolved.
