WILLEMSTAD – The Joint Court of Justice, which serves Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Caribbean Netherlands, ended the year 2024 with a deficit of over 1.1 million guilders, according to its newly published annual report. The shortfall was mainly caused by adjustments to old claims and rising personnel and operational costs, and has been entirely covered by the Court’s financial reserves.
While emphasizing the need for efficient operations to ensure financial stability, Court President Mauritsz de Kort warned that long-term solutions require cooperation from all four constituent countries. “Only together can we ensure that the Court continues to effectively fulfill its vital role in the years ahead,” he stated in the report’s introduction.
Continued Investment in Digitalization
Despite the financial setback, the Court has made continued progress in digitalization. The internal case management system GEAR was upgraded, and tax cases in Bonaire and Sint Maarten are now accessible digitally. In addition, the digital exchange of case files with the Supreme Court (Hoge Raad) has been expedited, aiming to reduce case processing times.
Push for Caribbean Representation
The Court is also continuing its Caribbeanization policy, aiming to appoint more judges and legal staff from within the region. As a general rule, judicial candidates are selected primarily from legal professionals who are born, raised, or deeply rooted in the islands—a definition expanded in 2019 to reflect local realities.
In December 2024, three new candidates were accepted into training programs to become judges or prosecutors. However, the intake remains limited. “The number of legal professionals born and raised in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom is relatively small,” the report notes.
At the same time, the Court recognizes that long-term appointments can lead to organizational stagnation, and that rotating Dutch judges remains necessary to maintain flexibility and expertise.
Ethics, Salaries, and Retention Challenges
The introduction of an updated code of conduct and ethics training programs is intended to foster an ethical and respectful workplace. However, the Court continues to face challenges in recruiting and retaining staff. A recent benchmark study revealed that the Court’s salaries are not competitive compared to other local institutions. As a result, many legal professionals leave the Court after only a few years for better-paying jobs.
High-Profile Cases in 2024
The Court handled several noteworthy cases in 2024, including:
The Avestruz corruption case involving a former minister in Aruba,
A landmark Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in Aruba and Curaçao,
And court decisions involving voter fraud in Sint Maarten.
In another key ruling, the Court determined that the Social Security Appeals Board (College van Beroep) in Aruba lacked sufficient independence. As a result, higher appeal is now permitted in such cases, increasing legal safeguards for citizens.
The report reflects a judiciary in transformation, striving to adapt to both financial pressures and the need for deeper local relevance and representation.
