25 b' Timehri. 



as to the lines on which such a Court can be economically and efficiently 

 formed A conference of West Indian Chief Justices and Attorney 

 Generals should be lirst convened at the suggestion or request of the 

 Colonial Office to secure the full consideration of all local requirements. 

 Proposals have been sent from this: colony on the subject. The Barbados 

 scheme leaves out altogether the Leeward Islands and Jamaica, but the 

 Chief Justice of Grenada is suggested asa membtr of the Court of Appeal. 

 Jamaica may insist upon her supposed separate interests and compaiative 

 isolation, but a West Indian Appeal Court should certainly include the 

 Leeward Islands. 



The proposal which I personally advocate is that an Appeal Court be 

 formed consisting in the first instance of the Chief Justices and Acting 

 Chief Justices of Trinidad, British Guiana and Barbados and of an addi- 

 tional special Appeal Judge who would preside at all sittings of the 

 Court. As an alternative the senior Judge present might preside. The 

 < olonial Orfic<' might consider the advisability of including the Chief 

 •Justice of the Leewards Islands. I am not in favour of the inclusion of 

 the Chief Justice of any other island. The headquarters should be in 

 Trinidad, but two sessions per annum should be held in British Guiana, 

 Barbados, Grenada and Antigua. If Jamaica acceded to the scheme its 

 Chief Justice and Acting Chief Justice would be included, but the head- 

 quarters should still be Trinidad as the most central and accessible point. 

 Three Judges would form a quorum, but no Judge should sit on appeals 

 from himself. For instance, if the Court were sitting in British Guiana 

 the special Appeal Judge and one other Chief Justice with the local Chief 

 Just'ce would form the Court if there were no appeal from the local Chief 

 Justice. If there were, a second Chief Justice from outside the colony 

 would have to come to hear that particular appeal. In the intervals of 

 circuit sessions appeals would be heard at any time in Trinidad. The 

 expense of a separate machinery for a West Indian Court of Appeal 

 would be avoided by adopting the suggested scheme. 



In the new Supreme Court Bill it is proposed to abolish the limited 

 jurisdiction and to enable the colony to dispense with a third Judge in 

 ease suitable provision for appeals is made We should thereby effect a 

 saving of £1,000 salary plus the cost of some clerical assistance which 

 might be set down at £250. As against this would be set off" our contii- 

 bution to the salary of the special Appeal Judge and perhaps to an increase 

 <>f fome £200 in the salary of the Registrar of the headquarters colony, 

 who would, in addition t<> his own ordinary duties, act as Registrar of the 

 Appeal Court. The silary of the Appeal Judge might be estimated at 

 61,600, the present salary of the Chief Justice of Trinidad and Jamaica 

 Our share of the whole might be placed at 6550. Allowing £50 for 

 travelling expenses our own net saving would be about £650. A mere 

 saving, however, should be reckoned as a small matter compared with the 

 increased convenience to the colony and to the West Indies by insuring a 

 rapid and economic hearing of appeals by an independent tribunal. The 

 important political effect of taking a further stap towards West Indian 

 consolidation cannot be ignored. 



