The Port of Spain based Caribbean Court of Justice is concerned over the premature unauthorised public disclosure of the result of a judgement.
CCJ like some other apex courts, has a practice of sending advance copies of its judgments to all the lawyers representing the parties to a case.
It says typically, these advance copies are provided to each counsel within 24 hours of the formal issuance of the judgment.
In a media release the CCJ said the intent is to give the lawyers an opportunity not to relitigate the dispute but to comment on any perceived errors in the draft.
It said the advance copies are clearly marked “CONFIDENTIAL”, and counsel are warned to treat with them in the strictest confidence pending the delivery of the judgment.
The CCJ said the Court was extremely disappointed to learn that, in a case in which the Attorney General of Guyana was a party, on the Attorney General’s Facebook account there was published, before the formal delivery of the judgment, the result of the litigation.
At the formal sitting to pronounce the judgment the following day October 19th , the presiding judge, Honourable Justice Wit, drew the attention of Counsel for the Attorney General to the obvious breach.
The release said counsel readily acknowledged the unauthorised Facebook post and issued on behalf of his client, a full and unqualified apology.
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