Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

The Common Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba[1] serves the three Caribbean countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten, and the three special municipalities of the Netherlands, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba.[2] The court services appeals from lower courts in the Caribbean territories, and is a peer with similar courts in the Netherlands. The Court is seated on Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten, while its sessions can also be held on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba.[3] Until 2010 it was called the Common Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.

Contents

Composition

The court is composed of judges from the first level of courts. Judges that took part in at case at the lower level may not participate in a case at this level.

Right of Appeal

The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands specified that appeals of first-level courts must be regulated. That law is the declaration of 20 July 1961, Stb. 1961, 212, titled the "Cassatieregeling Nederlandse Antillen" ("Appeals Regulations of the Netherlands Antilles"), later renamed "Cassatieregeling Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba". This law fixed that the High Council of the Netherlands recognizes the jurisdiction of the Combined Appeals Court of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba over civil and criminal cases which were initiated in the first-level courts within those territories.

One distinction between the appeals procedure in the Netherlands and that of the Caribbean territories is that when a judgment of a Netherlands court is overturned by the High Council, the case is generally turned over to a different court at the same level for purposes of rendering a new decision. Because the Common Court is the only court at its level, it will rehear its own cases after being overruled.

See also

References

  1. ^ Eerstekamer.nl - Rijkswet Gemeenschappelijk Hof van Justitie
  2. ^ Rechtspraak.nl - Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba
  3. ^ Article 15, Rijkswet Gemeenschappelijk Hof van Justitie.

External links