New CCJ Guyanese judge Arif Bulkan lauded for contributions

Last Updated on Thursday, 16 October 2025, 21:31 by Writer

Newly-appointed judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Guyanese Dr Arif Bulkan was hailed for his accomplishments and contributions in the fields of academia, law and human rights to the Caribbean and elsewhere shortly after he took the oath of office before President Irfaan Ali.

It is customary for new Caribbean judges to be sworn in before the Head of State of the country of their birth. The Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC) is guided by the agreement establishing the CCJ in determining the suitability of judges and other court staff.

Justice Bulkan, who becomes the third Guyanese to be appointed a CCJ judge following the late justices Desiree Bernard and Duke Pollard, said his swearing in was “deeply meaningful” not because of a sense of personal accomplishment because the now 20-year old CCJ represents the shedding of ties with the region’s colonisers. “I’m acutely conscious of what this court represents in terms of decolonisation and regional integration and it is an honour and privilege to have the opportunity to participate in this journey,” he said.

Against that background and the court’s integrity regardless of the status of the litigants, Justice Bulkan and President Ali hoped that eventually the entire Caribbean would join the CCJ in its appellate jurisdiction.

“As the court continues to fashion a truly Caribbean jurisprudence, mindful of our shared history and values, and responsive to our needs in the Caribbean, hopefully the day will soon come when there will be complete accession by all,” Justice Bulkan said.

“We look forward to the day when all members of the Caribbean Community will surmount the constitutional, legislative, and political hurdles that still stand in the way of fully embracing the Caribbean Court of Justice as their final court of appeal. That day must come, and it must come sooner rather than later, for it will make the completion of a journey that began with Independence itself. When every member state entrusts its highest judicial authority to the CCJ, we will at last realise the full promise of Caribbean sovereignty, justice dispensed by our own, grounded in our own values, and guided by the collective wisdom of our region,” the Guyanese leader said.

The CCJ is the final court of appeal for Guyana, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and Saint Lucia. The remaining English-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states still have as their final court of appeal the British Privy Council. On the other hand, all CARICOM member states use the CCJ to adjudicate disputes under CARICOM’s Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

The regional and international human rights activist hailed the CCJ for its “unwavering commitment to the promotion of human rights” for its substantive value. He said the CCJ has built an enlightened jurisprudence that seeks to overcome hierarchies and promote substantive justice, despite populist pressures and deeply rooted societal prejudices.

He also credited the CCJ with upholding democratic values, good governance and the rule of law. “This is not news to anyone in Guyana where the court has played such a consequential role in mediating between intractable political foes,” he added. He said the CCJ, with “impressive technical skill”, has guarded against executive overreach, attentive to the demands of judicial independence and has grappled with the meaning of democracy.

He praised the CCJ for ensuring equality before the law regardless of social status, economic standing or political clout, and so “they have not been a predictor of outcomes”. “In other words, privilege and power have never been a guarantor of success at the CCJ and that should mean a lot to the people of this region,” he said.

Guyana’s Chancellor of the Judiciary, Roxane George-Wiltshire, who was a law studies batchmate at the University of the West Indies and the Hugh Wooding Law School in 1988 and 1990, remembers Dr Bulkan being a “brilliant student” who was gifted with the “masterful command” of the English Language. She said she was “absolutely thrilled” to witness the swearing in of Dr Bulkan as a CCJ judge, even as she recalled that they, along with the Director of Public Prosecutions, (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, studied and practiced law together dating back to the 1990s and later.

She said his legal practice and academic qualifications make him well-suited for the post of a regional judge. With a doctorate in law, the Chancellor of the Judiciary said he brings to the CCJ bench many years of experience as a regional and international champion of human rights, years of experience as a lecturer at the University of the Guyana and at the University of the West Indies, as a Justice of Appeal in Guyana and Belize and as a member of regional and international bodies.

“Therefore, speaking on behalf of the judicial officers of Guyana, we believe beyond a reasonable doubt that Justice Bulkan will be an asset to the CCJ, our apex court,” she said. Justice George-Wiltshire expected that Dr Bulkan’s judgements would shape the Caribbean’s jurisprudence and the CCJ’s future at a time when the legal landscape is evolving rapidly.

CCJ President Winston Anderson said Justice Bulkan’s writings on human rights and work as member and vice chair of the United Nations Human Rights Committee special rapporteur on Indigenous People’s Rights at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), as well as other work in environmental rights, would be an asset to the Trinidad-headquartered CCJ. “Justice Bulkan’s work reflects his deep commitment and unwavering dedication to the principles of social justice, equality and of the rule of law. These attributes alongside his wisdom, depth of knowledge and wealth of experience will serve him in good stead as he embarks on service at the highest judicial level in our region,” he said.

President Irfaan Ali, in his address, described Dr Bulkan as a “man of intellect” whose career is a model of public service in the practice of law, academia especially in by advancing the study of constitutional, human rights, and administrative law. “Today’s ceremony carries added significance because we gather to witness the swearing-in of one of Guyana’s distinguished sons, Dr. Christopher Arif Bulkan, as a Judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice. This is an occasion of national pride and regional celebration,” he also said.

Justice Bulkan pledged to perform his functions at the CCJ with “competence, efficiency and unwavering integrity.” He singled out several persons including the Chancellor of the Judiciary , former Chancellor of the Judiciary Yonette Cummings-Edwards, late Justice Ian Chang, and late Law Professor Rudolph James for his professional journey and upward mobility.