Registrar of the High Court, Daniel Francis, highlighted that the Commercial Court remains a valuable initiative that has significantly benefited both the judicial system and the people of Saint Lucia.
“In terms of a value. For 2024 alone we have seen an approximate EC$49 million in values of claims pass through the commercial court for that year and we anticipate that the performance of the court will continue to meet and exceed that benchmark figure.”
The core functions of the Commercial Court include resolving business disputes, ensuring efficient case management, protecting business interests, supporting economic growth, and enforcing commercial laws.
“What we’ve seen over the last few years is that the Commercial Court in particular has taken on matters beyond the strict commercial sense and aids the civil courts in matters involving general civil practice and procedure.”
By providing a dedicated forum for business-related cases, the Commercial Court fosters a conducive environment for commerce and investment in Saint Lucia. The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) played a pivotal role in establishing the court under a project funded by Compete Caribbean, in collaboration with the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and the Government of Saint Lucia. NCPC Director, Lisa Florent-Montoute, stated that the council continues to monitor the success of this initiative, which enhanced Saint Lucia’s competitiveness and improved its ease of doing business ranking.
“This has worked quite well in ensuring what I know successive governments have been trying to achieve, a swifter justice system. It has helped make our litigation process much faster. As you would be aware, court cases used to drag on for years before being resolved. Separating commercial cases from civil cases has been beneficial in ensuring they are handled independently. In terms of our competitiveness, we have improved, and there has been a noticeable enhancement in our business environment.”
Given the court’s success, the Registrar expects its mandate to expand beyond commercial cases in the future.