Government

Three New Judges Sworn In At State House

Three new judges were sworn in at State House today.

President of Barbados, Her Excellency The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, administered the Oaths of Office to Madam Justice Corlita Babb-Schaefer, PhD; Madam Justice Wanda Blair; and Madam Justice Donna Babb-Agard, who is a temporary judge.

At the end of the brief ceremony, Dame Sandra congratulated the judges and described them as stalwarts of the law. She said they were “capable young ladies”, and expressed confidence that they would perform well in their new role.

Chief Justice Leslie Haynes said he was pleased with the appointments. “I’m very happy because they are the stalwarts of the legal system…. Justice Babb-Agard has been the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions); Justice Blair has acted about three years now in this position, and it’s about time that she’s sworn in as a permanent appointment, and Justice Babb-Schaefer has done excellent work as a Master of the High Court, and she truly deserves her appointment.

“I’m looking forward to working with each of them and to improving the efficiency of the administration of justice now that we have a nearly full complement of judges.”

The judges are excited to serve in this capacity. Mrs. Babb-Schaefer, who was called to the Bar 30 years ago, hopes to contribute to the efficiency in the judiciary to render justice where possible.

She continued: “So from my perspective, I hope to do some of the same things that I did as Master of the High Court, and that is to get out the orders and the approved draft orders within the week in which they are made, so that counsel can take the necessary step….”

Mrs. Blair’s entire career has been in the public service, including in Guyana, where she started. She has worked in Barbados for 24 years, and over time, she has had several short stints acting as a high court judge. She has also acted as a judge continuously for the past two years.

About her appointment, she stated: “I’m looking forward to continuing to serve efficiently and to doing my best to address the backlog and to contribute to the administration of justice in Barbados.”

Describing her legal journey as an amazing one, Mrs. Babb-Agard, who has worked in government for over 33 years, gave the assurance that she will “continue to put my best foot forward in the service of the Government and the people of Barbados”. (PR/GIS)

President of Barbados, Her Excellency The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason (second from right) and Chief Justice Leslie Haynes (second from left) pose with the three new judges (from left to right) – Madam Justice Donna Babb-Agard; Madam Justice Corlita Babb-Schaefer, PhD; and Madam Justice Wanda Blair

Government

CARICOM Nations Grappling With Several Pressing Matters

Prime Minister of Barbados and Chairman of CARICOM, Mia Amor Mottley, has warned that it cannot be business as usual for Barbados and other CARICOM member states when countries are still grappling with a number of pressing matters that need urgent attention.

Ms. Mottley listed the climate crisis, achieving full freedom of movement in the region, reducing the cost of living, fixing an education system that is “in shambles; achieving food security, reducing gun violence, and an overall worrying crime situation as issues that need urgent attention.

The Prime Minister raised these matters while addressing the opening ceremony of the 48th Regular Meeting of Heads of Government of CARICOM at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, yesterday evening.

She told the audience, including the President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason; United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres; and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that CARICOM, as an institution, needed to be reformed.

She added that the reform must include establishing independent funding mechanisms and reviewing governance structures.

Ms. Mottley stated: “What is clear is that it cannot be business as usual. We have come to Bridgetown in this year of 2025 at a time when the world is reeling, reeling from all kinds of problems, the climate crisis; we don’t need anyone to tell us about it.

“We know what it is each summer to have to hold our breath and to wait and to hope that this is not going to be our turn. We know first-hand how the world has become an awful place since the pandemic, where all of the wars and all of the scars and all of the cuts have become very, very clear and open for everyone to see. And where, effectively, the world has said that might is right, and where small states are often excluded because our orders are too minuscule to command attention.”

She urged regional leaders to use their deliberations during the sessions to agree on a common platform of critical issues.

“We will not get it all right one time, but we must have a common vision and we must be prepared to recognise that none of us will get exactly what we want, but we must all work for what the people of the Caribbean need. And if we can do that, then we will have run successfully our leg of the relay race,” she underlined.

The CARICOM business session got under way in earnest behind closed doors on Thursday, February 20. The summit, which has as its theme “Strength in Unity: Forging Caribbean Resilience, Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development” concludes today Friday, February 21. (PR/GIS)

Government

Prime Minister Mottley & UN Secretary General Discuss Geopolitical Tensions

Regional and international geopolitical tensions in Haiti, Venezuela, and the Middle East were high on the agenda during bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and United Nations (UN) Secretary General (SG), António Guterres.

During the meeting at Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lord’s Castle the two officials also focused on the chronic lack of supplies situation in Cuba, the ongoing Ukraine War and efforts to broker a peace deal, among other issues.

In addition, Prime Minister Mottley and Secretary General Guterres spoke about violence in the Caribbean, with both sides agreeing that a greater effort was needed by all involved in the fight against crime, to stem the flow of illegal guns into the Caribbean.

Present during the meeting were Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kerrie Symmonds, and other government officials.

Caption: Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley listens attentively to United Nations (UN) Secretary General, António Guterres. during their bilateral meeting at Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lord’s Castle

Government

BILATERAL TALKS HELD BETWEEN PRIME MINISTER MOTTLEYand PRESIDENT OF THE EU

Matters pertaining to further expanding Barbados’ pharmaceutical industry, cyber security, artificial intelligence and its regulation were among the issues discussed yesterday, during a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and President of the European Commission (EU), Ursula von der Leyen.

During the discussions at Ilaro Court, both sides praised their long-standing relationship, as they explored other avenues for cooperation in a number of areas that include, but are not limited to, battery storage; production of precision medicine to help the country in the fight against cancer and NCDs; genomic testing to explore the link between race and NCDs, among other areas.

*Mrs Von der Leyen and Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley*

Mrs Von der Leyen, who is the first EU Commission President to visit the region, expressed her delight to be in Barbados and expressed renewed optimism in the friendship and strategic partnership with the island.

Also present during the meeting with the EU Commission and her team were Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable, Jerome Walcott; Attorney General Dale Marshall; Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins; Minister in Finance, Ryan Straughn; Minister with responsibility for Culture, Senator Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight; Minister in Economic Affairs, Senator Chad Blackman, and other officials. (PR/GIS)