Veteran attorney Leslie Haynes SC has been sworn in as Barbados’ new Chief Justice.
During a brief ceremony held at State House in the presence of his family, friends, as Attorney General Dale Marshall, Chief Justice Haynes took the oath of office before President of Barbados Dame Sandra Mason.

In addressing the media, Haynes noted he was humbled by the opportunity, and understood that a lot of work needed to be done to help modernise the courts.
“There’s a lot of work to be done to carry on from where the last Chief Justice left off. The transformation of Government, of which the judiciary is part of, is still to be achieved, and that would be my objective, to transform the judiciary into a modern court system, one that we would all be proud of.”

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS – The 47th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Barbados was commemorated Thursday with a symposium at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, where H.E. Yan Xiusheng, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Barbados, delivered a wide-ranging speech highlighting the robust bilateral cooperation while reinforcing China’s stance on the one-China principle regarding Taiwan.

Speaking at the symposium entitled “Upholding Founding Aspirations, Continuing Traditional Friendship” Ambassador Yan praised the “fruitful cooperation” across trade, development, culture and education since ties were established in 1977. The Ambassador also reasserted Beijing’s position that Taiwan is an “inalienable part of China’s territory.”

Citing the 1971 UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, which recognized the Beijing government’s representatives as “the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations,” Ambassador Yan stated this had resolved the issue of China’s representation at the UN, including Taiwan, “once and for all.”

“Taiwan is referred to as ‘Taiwan, province of China’ in all UN official documents,” the envoy stressed, quoting legal opinions that the UN does not consider Taiwan as having “any form of government status.”

Ambassador Yan warned that any attempt to “deliberately distort” Resolution 2758 amounted to “hollow[ing] out the one-China principle” and emboldening “Taiwan independence separatist activities” – efforts he vowed “will be resisted and opposed by the international force for justice and will not succeed.”  

The Ambassador commended Barbados for upholding the One-China policy since establishing diplomatic ties in 1977, expressing China’s willingness to deepen political trust and continue supporting each other’s “core interests.”

Among other speakers at the high-profile event was former Senator Dr. Chelston Brathwaite, who presented Ambassador Yan with a copy of his book “Memories of China” recounting the country’s role in supporting Barbados’ economic leap. Former Central Bank Governor Dr. Delisle Worrell, President of the Barbados-China Friendship Association, Mr. David Bulbulia, Co-Director of the Confucius Institute and Mr. Tyson Henry, Chief Information Officer of Barbados Government Information Service, also addressed the gathering.

Highlighting Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s visit to Beijing last year, Ambassador Yan said the two countries aimed to “jointly uphold multilateralism,” development initiatives and “a community with a shared future for mankind” as China-Barbados ties advance.

In an environment of rising homicides by gun violence per capita in countries across the region, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is calling for more opportunities for young people to join organisations such as cadets, the Boy Scouts, and other service clubs.

Ms. Mottley emphasised that the expansion in service organisations was necessary to expose young people to the importance of service and how to handle weapons.

She made the suggestion today during the closing ceremony for Exercise Tradewinds 2024 (EXTW24) at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Two Mile Hill, St. Michael.

“The Barbados Defence Force has been supportive in continuing to expand its Cadet Programme and its Sea Cadet Programme…. As physical circumstances allow us, I actually would like for us to be able to ensure that every boy and every girl, as they become teenagers in this country, are exposed to this service organisation.

“A time will come where it will not only be the men and women in uniform who will be called into service, but it will actually be the people of this nation who must stand up to the call, more likely than not, especially in circumstances of small island states, whose capacity to survive can be terminated within a few hours…,” Ms. Mottley proffered.

The Prime Minister maintained that EXTW24 had “elevated the extent to which ordinary people now understood that guns could be used in circumstances to commit crime or to protect region’s borders from criminal activities”.

However, the task at hand now, she stressed, was for regional governments to ensure that its citizens see the benefit of using firearms for protection and not destruction.

“A gun is a tool that kills. It doesn’t walk and even with AI, it doesn’t yet talk. Therefore, it comes back to the basic integrity of the individuals in our society to determine how to treat weapons with respect.

“I want to commend the exercise because I saw on the weekend, you opened up to people of this nation and I saw families come and bring their children. We will not be able to obliterate guns from the earth because regrettably it is here. But like with everything else we do with our children, it is to teach them to respect how they use weapons,” Ms. Mottley underlined.

The Prime Minister added that the exercise, held over the last two weeks, was “the evidence of what calling on each other looks like, and what it feels like”, as regional forces prepared themselves for any eventuality.

Also speaking during the opening ceremony were host country Co-Director of EXTW24, Commander Mark Peterson; Deputy Commander United States Southern Command, Vice Admiral Alvin Holsey; Acting Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence Force, Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Lovell; and United States Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Roger Nyhus. 

Exercise Tradewinds 2024 was held in Barbados from May 4 to 16.  (PR/GIS)