CARICOM | International Jurist Dr. Chile Eboe-Osuji Appointed to Caribbean Court of Justice

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago – In a move that further solidifies the Caribbean Court of Justice's global standing, former International Criminal Court President Dr. Chile Eboe-Osuji has been tapped to join the region's highest judicial body.

The Nigerian-Canadian jurist will fill the vacancy created by the impending retirement of the Honourable Mr. Justice Andrew Burgess next month, continuing the CCJ's tradition of attracting legal minds of international caliber.

The appointment, announced on March 24, 2025, comes after a rigorous selection process overseen by the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC), the independent body charged with recruiting staff and judges for the Court. Dr. Eboe-Osuji emerged as the standout candidate from a diverse field of 26 applicants spanning four continents.

Dr. Eboe-Osuji brings an impressive international resume to the Caribbean bench. His nine-year tenure at the International Criminal Court in The Hague included three years as its President from 2018 to 2021. His expertise in international law has been honed through roles as Legal Advisor to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, where he spearheaded amicus curiae submissions to both the European Court of Human Rights and the United States Supreme Court.

The distinguished jurist's experience with international tribunals runs deep. He served as principal appeals counsel for the Prosecution in the high-profile Charles Taylor case at the Special Court for Sierra Leone and held multiple positions at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, including Head of Chambers and Lead Prosecution Trial Counsel.

Dr. Eboe-Osuji's legal practice spans continents as well, having appeared as a barrister before trial courts in both Nigeria and Canada, and handled appeals before Ontario's Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. His academic contributions include teaching international criminal law at the University of Ottawa and authoring significant works such as "International Law and Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts" and "Protecting Humanity."

He currently serves as editor-in-chief of the Nigerian Yearbook of International Law and previously contributed his expertise as a legal specialist to Nigeria's delegation to the ICC-ASP Special Working Group on the Definition of the Crime of Aggression. Called to the Bar in Nigeria (1986) and two Canadian provinces—Ontario and British Columbia (1992)—Dr. Eboe-Osuji's educational background includes a PhD from the University of Amsterdam, an LLM from McGill University, and an LLB from the University of Calabar.

In announcing the appointment, CCJ President the Honourable Mr. Justice Adrian Saunders emphasized the Court's commitment to excellence through its selection process. "The RJLSC prides itself on a recruitment process that is both meritocratic and fiercely independent," Justice Saunders noted. "Each appointment reflects our unwavering commitment to selecting individuals of the highest caliber based solely on their expertise, integrity, and dedication to justice."

The selection process was notably competitive, with applications received from legal professionals across the United States, Canada, Nigeria, several Caribbean nations, and countries as far-flung as Sri Lanka, Fiji, Pakistan, and Australia. Five candidates—three men and two women—advanced to the interview stage.

Dr. Eboe-Osuji is expected to be sworn in next month, coinciding with Justice Burgess's retirement on April 11, 2025.

The Trinidad-based CCJ, established on February 14, 2001, represents the Caribbean's effort to achieve complete judicial independence by replacing the London-based Privy Council as the region's final court of appeal. While most Caribbean nations recognize the CCJ's original jurisdiction as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, only Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, and St. Lucia have fully embraced its appellate jurisdiction.

This appointment follows another significant development in Caribbean jurisprudence: the recent elevation of Jamaican-born jurist The Honourable Winston Anderson to the presidency of the CCJ. That appointment received unanimous approval from Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders, marking a new chapter in the region's judicial leadership.

-30-