Background
The Council has been in existence for over 40 years and trains legal practitioners in the Commonwealth Caribbean.
Pursuant to Article 1 (a) of the Agreement Establishing the Council of Legal Education, the Council is made up of the following members:
- the Attorneys General of member Governments
- the Judiciary (the Chief Justices of member Governments)
- the practicing legal profession (chosen by the relevant professional associations)
- the Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of the West Indies
- the Principals of the Council's three Law Schools.
Council of Legal Education Vision Statement
To be a world leader in higher education through innovation, creativity and relevance in the system of practical legal education that is rooted in our history as Caribbean people and is designed to enhance the practice of law and the jurisprudence of the Caribbean, to empower our people; and develop our societies throughout the 21st Century.
Council of Legal Education Mission Statement
The mission of the Council is “To facilitate the development of competent legal practitioners for the Region, who, appreciating their responsibility as members of an honourable profession and recognizing the needs of their socio-economic environment, are inspired in the pursuit of excellence, the maintenance of high ethical standards the promotion of social justice and the strengthening of the rule of law.”
Council of Legal Education Chairman
It was concluded in the Annual Meeting held on September 16 and 17, 2022 in Barbados, that the Council of Legal Education elected Ms. Liesel Weekes as Chairman for the 2022 – 2025 term.
Ms. Liesel Natasha Weekes is a Trinidadian born attorney- at-law admitted to practice both in Trinidad and Tobago and in Barbados since 1998. She is a senior member of the Aegis Chambers Attorneys-at-Law. Ms. Weekes sits on the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Barbados from 2014 to date. She is also a member of the steering committee of the JURIST project, also funded by the Canadian Government, from 2014 to date. Ms. Weekes has held the post of the President of the Organization of Commonwealth Caribbean Bar Associations (OCCBA), from September 2014 to March 2018; and was a member of the Steering Committee as well as the Legal Profession Technical Advisory Group of the Canadian Government Funded Improved Access to Justice (IMPACT) project from 2014 to 2019. Ms. Weekes served three consecutive terms as President of the Barbados Bar Association and has been its Bar Representative on the Council of Legal Education since 2016.
The Chairman has signaled that her focus will be on working with members of the Council to develop the framework needed to advance legal education in the Caribbean. A review of both the law schools’ curriculum and the Treaty establishing the Council of Legal Education will be conducted to assist with this.