GUYANA’s hosting, in July this year, of The Hague Convention Conference on International Family Law, Legal Co-operation and Commerce is seen as the catalyst for change and the growth of support for the family conventions in the Caribbean.The above assessment was made by Sir Mathew Thorpe, former Head of International Justice for England and Wales, who noted in his Conference Report that, as a promotional conference, the format was “classic”.

And he deemed the event — held at the Pegasus Hotel during July 13-15 under the banners of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, The Hague Conference, and UNICEF — “highly successful”. This conference had seen participation of 12 other attorneys general, six chief justices and 13 sitting judges from high courts across the region, besides several judges and other legal luminaries from across the Caribbean.

Guyana’s Minister of Legal Affairs, Attorney General Basil Williams, came in for high praise from Sir Mathew Thorpe for his overall management of the event.

According to Sir Thorpe’s report, the event focused on the Child Abduction Convention during its opening session, while it addressed the other three family conventions and international family mediation matters during its sessions.

Sir Thorpe pointed to several achievements during the three-day event, including the addition of Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica, Suriname and the Turks & Caicos Islands to The Hague’s International Network of Judges. He said the new nominations to the network are seen as preludes and preparation for accession at least to the Child Abduction Convention.
“This confidence I take as much from the atmosphere and mood of the meeting,” he said.

He noted that a meeting of the attorneys general to discuss developments starkly contrasted with the Trinidad and Tobago hosting of the conference 12 months ago.

“So, in conclusion, I predict that in time we will look back on the Georgetown Conference as the catalyst for change and the growth of support for the family conventions in the Caribbean,” Sir Thorpe said.

During the conference, he had noted that The International Hague Network of Judges is crucial to effective practical communications, as it allows its members to have direct communication with their counterparts the world over.

According to a report in the Government Information Agency (GINA), Sir Thorpe said the convention that speaks to the Network of Judges includes commonly accepted safeguards, and details guidance needed by each Network Judge in order to be effective in their roles.

He also asserted that judges nominated to the network have an important responsibility not to remain within their own domains, but must rather meet to exchange ideas and get to know each other as colleagues.