Judgement Writing Refresher Course — Resuming Jury Trials in Pandemic Times

The CAJO engaged, for the first time, a multi-prong approach to judicial education and information sharing that utilised pre-recorded information video products instead of only a live webinar presentation. Three Caribbean countries — Barbados, Guyana, and St Lucia — provided a series of video products from their regions that highlighted their experiences with resuming jury trials during pandemic times, and shared multiple perspectives as well as feedback received on their policies and protocols. These videos were shared with registered participants on Friday 13 November 2020.

From then until November 23, participants submitted their questions arising out of the information shared in the videos. These questions were then organised thematically. On Friday 27 November, the CAJO hosted a live Webinar Q&A in which the submitted questions were discussed by a panel including Sir Marston Gibson (Barbados), Chief Justice (Ag) Roxane George, Justice Brassington Reynolds, Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, and Justice Nareshwar Harnanan (Guyana), and Justice Vivian Georgis Taylor-Alexander and Registrar Daniel Francis (St Lucia). The Webinar Q&A also included a segment for participants’ comments and sharing.

The programme was designed to include video knowledge products in lieu of live webinar presentations as the CAJO noted the discourse and literature around ‘Zoom burnout’ and sought creative and innovative ways to share as much information as possible and promote critical reflective thinking.