The President of the Caribbean Court of Justice has renewed a call for 4 July to be recognised as a public holiday across the Caribbean Community, arguing that the region's most ambitious integration project deserves a dedicated day of collective reflection and celebration. According to Antigua News Room, the question was first posed in the pages of the Jamaica Gleaner in July 2021 and has now resurfaced for consideration by Caribbean policymakers five years on.
The Honourable Mr. Justice Winston Anderson, President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, authored the op-ed, framing the proposal around the historical significance of 4 July 1973 — the date on which four visionary leaders signed the Treaty of Chaguaramas and gave birth to the Caribbean Community. Those leaders were Errol Barrow of Barbados, Forbes Burnham of Guyana, Michael Manley of Jamaica, and Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago. Vere Bird of Antigua and Barbuda, one of three original signatories to the Dickenson Bay Agreement, is also widely recognised as a foundational figure in the history of regional integration.
"That date is more than a historical footnote," Justice Anderson writes. "It is the birthplace of the Caribbean Community and therefore the midwife of our claim to regionhood."
Justice Anderson argues that public holidays serve purposes well beyond commemoration. They allow societies to reaffirm shared values, preserve collective memory, and cultivate a sense of belonging across generations — functions performed by Independence Days, Republic Days, and Emancipation Days throughout the world.
The Caribbean Community, he notes, finds itself in the unusual position of possessing many attributes of a single economic space while lacking a single day for public reflection upon that communal space. Common institutions, a shared legal heritage, integrated educational structures, and an increasingly unified economy all exist — yet no collective, simultaneous pause exists to celebrate the regional project that made those achievements possible.
The op-ed traces CARICOM's evolution across generations of leadership. The founders' work was carried forward by leaders including P.J. Patterson, Basdeo Panday, Owen Arthur, and Bharrat Jagdeo, who advanced economic integration and strengthened regional institutions. More recently, Kenny Anthony, Patrick Manning, Ralph Gonsalves, and Mia Mottley have continued to champion regional cooperation while adapting the integration movement to contemporary realities.
"CARICOM therefore is not the achievement of a single generation," Justice Anderson writes. "It is the shared inheritance of many."
Among the achievements Justice Anderson highlights are the entry into force of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and the creation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), which now allows Caribbean nationals to travel freely, establish businesses, seek employment, and invest across Member States. He also points to the University of the West Indies, the Caribbean Examinations Council, the Caribbean Development Bank, the Caribbean Public Health Agency, CDEMA, West Indies Cricket, and the CARIFTA Games as enduring symbols of what regional cooperation has produced.
On the Caribbean Court of Justice itself, Justice Anderson notes that the institution serves as both the apex court for participating states and the judicial guardian of rights enshrined in the integration movement. Its motto — "One People. One Region. One Court." — reflects the Court's commitment to all people of the region, from Kingston to Georgetown. Members of the public are encouraged to engage with the Court either in person in Port-of-Spain or through its website at www.ccj.org.
The practical proposal put forward is that 4 July be observed as a regional public holiday each year, with observance shifting to the first Monday thereafter when the date falls on a weekend — this year, 6 July. Justice Anderson points out that Antigua and Barbuda and Guyana already recognise CARICOM Day as a public holiday, demonstrating that such recognition is both practical and appropriate.
A regional holiday, he argues, would catalyse schools to teach the history of integration, encourage governments to highlight the achievements of Caribbean institutions, and give citizens an annual opportunity to reflect on the shared inheritance that binds the region together.
"It would be a good thing if our policymakers did not allow another five years to pass without giving serious thought to celebrating our shared history and bright future on CARICOM Day," Justice Anderson concludes. "In the end, we are all we have. Warts and all."
