From 21-23 November 2024, approximately 100 judicial officers, including Chief Justices, Judges, Magistrates, Registrars, and Court Administrators, from across the Caribbean will meet at the Hamilton Princess Hotel, Bermuda, for the 8th Biennial Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers (CAJO) Conference under the theme “Justice 360: Holistic Approaches to the Administration of Justice”. For this CAJO Conference, the host judiciary is the Judiciary of Bermuda. The Conference is also supported by the Government of Bermuda and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
The CAJO Conference will commence with an opening ceremony and headline the feature speaker, the Honourable Mr Justice Adrian Saunders, President of the CCJ, elucidating on the topic of “Celebrating Caribbean Jurisprudence: Intersections between Law, Politics, and Society”. Plenary and breakout sessions will be conducted on artificial intelligence in Caribbean judiciaries, management of high-profile matters, breaking cycles of violence against women and girls, conflict management within the judiciary, and many other issues pertinent to courts in the region.
This Conference will be one with a difference, offering participants a genuinely interactive experience. The programme is designed to strengthen participant engagement by learning through doing, spanning two and a half days. By engaging different teaching-learning models, such as small group work, panel discussions, lectures, and question-and-answer segments, the programme offers participants a variety of session topics and ways to interact with the subject material. Fully embracing the wellness theme, this year’s programme includes a dedicated segment that will offer participants practical tools to aid their wellbeing. Also, the use of music and performance has been added not only to stimulate the senses but also to utilise creative outlets as a means of consolidating learning. Notably, this year’s programme is constructed to allow participants sufficient time to rest and recover from long conference days and encourage interaction among their regional colleagues.
Speaking on the upcoming Conference, CAJO Chair and CCJ Judge, the Honourable Mr Peter Jamadar, stated, “Caribbean Judiciaries are facing increasingly complex issues both jurisprudentially and administratively. In addition, what it means to be a judiciary is evolving. Court-user-centric approaches informed by human rights standards, the impact of technology, including artificial intelligence, and the central importance of judicial officers’ and judiciary staff wellness, are all integral to judicial and judiciary excellence and have changed how court systems operate and interact with stakeholders. This CAJO Conference recognises these changes and responds with sessions that facilitate discussions on holistic approaches to the administration of justice in the Caribbean. I anticipate an engaged and engaging conference, robust discussions, and many constructive takeaways.”
The CAJO Management Committee looks forward to the 8th Biennial Conference with great enthusiasm and trusts that all participants will find the experience rewarding and the material engaging to spread the holistic approach to regional jurisprudence.