On March 21, 2024, the Judiciary of Barbados and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), implementer of the INL funded, Caribbean Anti-Crime Program, partnered to officially launch the Court Case Management System (CCMS) in the Magistrates Courts. The delays in the administration of justice, due to the court’s antiquated systems and lack of modernization, have disadvantaged the citizens of Barbados. The launch of CCMS, piloted in the Magistrates Courts, demonstrates the commitment of the Judiciary of Barbados to modernizing the courts through technology and improving the many dimensions of court services. By automating the previously paper-based system, CCMS aims to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of judges and court staff, improve the management of cases to ensure timely disposition, establish reporting of data and case statistics, and allow for the monitoring and scheduling of cases in real time. The launch was attended by the U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Roger F. Nyhus, INL Director Reggie Singh, the Honorable Chief Justice of Barbados Sir Patterson Cheltenham, the Director of Public Prosecutions Donna Babb-Agard, and the Vice President of the National Center for State Courts Jeffrey Apperson, along with other stakeholders to the program.
Ambassador Nyhus noted the importance of the economic value of the judiciary’s ownership of the source code to the software which allows for integrated case management starting from a case filing through disposition, and is accessible by police, case parties, attorneys, court staff, and judicial officers. The design allows for the introduction of expanded capability and future technological innovations such as automated payment systems to collect fees and fines, enhancing transparency and accountability while reducing opportunities for fraud or corruption.
Implementing this effective court case management system will improve the administration of justice, increase public engagement with, and trust in, the judiciary, and reduce case backlogs in these lower courts where most criminal matters are adjudicated in the Caribbean.
Launch of CCMS: (from left to right) NCSC Vice President Jeffrey Apperson, the Hon. Chief Justice Sir Patterson Cheltenham, Registrar Sharon Deane, the Hon. Justice Chistopher Birch, the U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Roger F. Nyhus, INL Director Reggie Singh, and the Director of Public Prosecutions Donna Babb-Agard