Caribbean News
THE HONOURABLE MR JUSTICE B. ST. MICHAEL HYLTON – APPOINTED AS COURT OF APPEAL JUDGE
September 15, 2023 – The Honourable Mr. Justice B. St. Michael Hylton O.J., KC is an Attorney-at-Law with a distinguished career in both the private and public sectors. A graduate of the University of the West Indies and the Norman Manley Law School, Mr. Hylton spent the first 24 years of his professional life at one of Jamaica’s leading law firms.
In 2001 he resigned from the firm to accept appointment as Solicitor General of Jamaica, a position he held until he retired in 2007 to start his own firm.
His Lordship was Chairman of the General Legal Council (the statutory body that regulates the legal profession in Jamaica) between 2010 and 2016. He has also chaired other regulatory bodies including the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force, the Financial Services Commission of Jamaica and the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority.
In 2016 he was appointed as a Commissioner of the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission and served as its deputy Chairman between 2021 and his mandatory retirement in 2022 at the expiry of his second term as a Commissioner.
His Lordship has written and published numerous legal articles and has made many presentations at conferences throughout the region and elsewhere including at the Commonwealth Law Conferences in Melbourne (2003), Livingstone (2019) and Goa (2023), and at the OECD/IDB Forum in Rio de Janeiro (2004), the 24th Cambridge Symposium on Organized Crime, Cambridge (2006), the CALCA/GLC 4th Biennial Conference in Sint Maarten (2016) and the OECS Regional Law Conference in Roseau (2017).
In addition to Jamaica, His Lordship has been admitted to the bars of Trinidad and Tobago, St Kitts & Nevis, Grenada, the British Virgin Islands and Belize. He has specialized in commercial and constitutional cases, and has successfully argued more than 35 appeals before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
His Lordship has also contributed to Caribbean jurisprudence and the legal profession in various other capacities, including as a:
- tutor at the Norman Manley Law School for more than 30 years;
- member of the Rules Committee of the Jamaican Supreme Court;
- consultant to the drafting committee, Caribbean Court of Justice Appellate Jurisdiction Rules;
- member and coordinator, Commission of Experts drafting Guidelines/ Minimum Standards for the Commonwealth on Freedom of Expression, Assembly & Association (2002);
- chairman of an international panel on the Role of International Conventions and Other Multilateral Initiatives in the Fight Against Crime (Oxford, England, August 2002);
- Chairman, Private Sector Organization committee on the reform of insolvency legislation (2011 – 2015); and
- Assistant Editor, West Indian Law Journal 2007-2014
In 1995 the Honourable Mr. Justice Hylton was appointed Queens Counsel, and in 2006 he was awarded the Order of Jamaica in recognition of his contribution to Law and the Public Service.
In 2022, His Lordship was appointed an acting judge of the Supreme Court of the Turks and Caicos. During that year he also served as a member of the Committee appointed by the Chief Justice to draft new civil procedure rules for this jurisdiction.
Montego Bay(JIS) – Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, says the city stands to benefit significantly from hosting the 49th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), slated for July 6 to 8 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James.
The meeting will bring together regional leaders to engage in high-level policy discussions on a range of issues, including regional security, climate change and trade.
In an interview with JIS News, Mayor Vernon said Montego Bay’s selection as host city, solidifies its position as a leading Caribbean destination for events of this magnitude.
“It places [Montego Bay] not only as a strategic location, but a viable option across the Caribbean for events of this nature. We are indeed setting ourselves apart as that place to host high-level regional discussions,” he said.
Highlighting the city’s track record, Mayor Vernon noted that Montego Bay has hosted several CARICOM events in the past, including the
landmark 2003 meeting where the Rose Hall Declaration on Regional Governance and Integrated Development was adopted.
“[It] tells a story. It positions us as a key meeting place for important regional policy discussions,” the Mayor said. He added that the upcoming conference is expected to tackle critical matters such as transportation, telecommunications, digitalization of the tourism industry, regional security, climate financing, food and nutrition security, external trade negotiations, and Haiti.
“Montego Bay is positioned to facilitate these discussions within its space, and that is also key for Jamaica as we look to expand in these areas,” Councillor Vernon outlined.
The Mayor also underscored the importance of regional integration.
“We hope that these discussions will deepen the integration process, because we can indeed benefit from regionalism, especially in light of what is happening globally,” he stated.
Referencing his earlier proposal for a regional disaster response hub, Councillor Vernon said the discussions around climate change and public safety could further promote coordinated approaches among CARICOM member states.
He also expressed confidence in the city’s readiness to host the event.
“We are putting all the necessary things in place to ensure that we not only have a safe event, but a great experience for our visitors,” he assured.
Mayor Vernon also took the opportunity to congratulate Prime Minister Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, who will assume chairmanship of CARICOM on July 1.
The CARICOM conference will be held under the theme ‘People, Partnerships, Prosperity: Promoting a Secure and Sustainable Future’.
CONTACT: SERENA GRANT
JIS MONTEGO BAY
PRESS RELEASE
FROM THE INTEGRITY COMMISSION
BEGINS
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Thursday, 2 July 2025: The 11th Annual Conference of the Commonwealth
Caribbean Association of Integrity Commissions and Anti-Corruption Bodies (CCAICACB), concluded Friday 6th June at The Landings Resort & Spa, after rallying attendees under the theme “Recommitting to Fighting Corruption Effectively and Sustainably in the Caribbean.” Over five impactful days, delegates tackled corruption’s entrenched challenges with renewed commitment to unity, innovation, and leadership.
Artificial Intelligence An impactful demonstration was provided by His Excellency, Professor Luis Franceschi Assistant Secretary General of the Commonwealth, on the benefits and drawbacks of the use of Artificial Intelligence. Anti-Corruption Bodies were encouraged to start getting familiar with the technology to better understand how it can be leveraged in the fight against corruption.
Country Updates Reflect Shared Progress and Challenges
Reports from member organisations highlighted major strides in public education, asset declaration, and investigative framework. Yet, countries also reported ongoing constraints, including human resource limitations, political resistance, and inadequate statutory framework.
SWOT & Synergy: Regional Blueprint for Collective Action
Dr. Roger Koranteng of the Commonwealth Secretariat led a comprehensive SWOT analysis session, providing a candid assessment of operational realities. He concluded with strong calls for enhanced synergy among member bodies and for adopting a unified voice in policy advocacy, resource mobilisation, and legal reform. The Ghanaian experience offers a valuable comparative model.
Leadership: Courage, Vision & Transformation Needed
With corruption becoming more normalised globally, presenters—including leaders from the Turks and Caicos Islands, St. Lucia, St.
Maarten, and Trinidad and Tobago—challenged the attending institutions to embrace transformational leadership. Recommendations included institutional resilience training, succession planning, and performance benchmarking.
United Front: Call to the Wider Caribbean and Beyond
The conference recognised the benefits of extending the membership of the Association beyond the original constituents of English-Speaking Commonwealth Caribbean Countries and signified its willingness to accept and encourage membership of Integrity Commissions and anti-corruption bodies of the wider Caribbean countries. “Corruption knows no language barriers—our fight must be collective,” stated Lady Anande Trotman-Joseph, Chairperson of the CCAICACB.
Digital Transformation: VLEX Software Considered
The conference marked a major step forward with the agreement to further investigate the benefits of the VLEX Legal Database-driven AI system, designed to strengthen legal research, asset recovery, and case management initiatives. The Commonwealth Secretariat, CARICOM IMPACS, and UNODC, received the presentation well, however the rest of the association would communicate their interest to the Turks and Caicos Islands Commission, which was taking the lead in investigating the possibilities.
Key Recommendations Going Forward to consider:
- Region-wide adoption of technology integration
- Legislative reforms to streamline access to declarant information
- Youth-centred anti-corruption education campaigns
- Institutional collaboration and peer reviews across commissions
- To explore extending invitations of membership to CCAICACB to other Caribbean countries
- An introduction to the idea of an International Corruption Court
The conference closed with a stirring call to recommit—not just in words, but in action—to building a future rooted in transparency, justice, and ethical leadership across the Commonwealth Caribbean and beyond.
Media Contact: TCI Integrity Commission Email: info@integritycommission.tc Website: www.integritycommission.tc
PHOTO CAPTIONS:
Header: TCI Integrity Commission Team (left to right)- Jovan Flemming (IT Specialist Security Manager),Tanya Lobban Jackson (Chair), Wendal Swann (Commissioner) and Imterniza McCartney (Public Education Officer).
1st insert: Imterniza McCartney (Public Education Officer)
2nd insert: Justice Tanya Lobban Jackson – Chair
3rd insert: (left to right): Justice Tanya Lobban Jackson (Chair), Lady Anande Trotman-Joseph(Chair CCAICACB) and Charna Pompier (Director Integrity Commission, St. Maarten).
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