PORT OF SPAIN - Judge Bob Wit passed away today, just a week after stepping down from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) based in Trinidad due to health issues, as announced by the Court. Judge Wit had been a member since its establishment in 2005, serving for 18 years.
"Today is a sad day for the Court, especially as Judge Wit and I were part of the first composition of the Court. He was the only judge with a background in civil law on the current bench of the CCJ, with rich experience in military law, administrative law, constitutional law, and international human rights law," said CCJ President, Judge Adrian Saunders.
Bob Wit also served as a judge of the Constitutional Court of Sint Maarten and gained recognition in 2013 for investigating integrity and corruption in Sint Maarten's politics and civil service. Based on his report, the Netherlands forced Sint Maarten to establish an integrity chamber.
Judge Wit, 71, was born in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands. He graduated from the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam with a Master's in Law with honors in 1977 before joining the Royal Netherlands Navy.
In the Netherlands, he was appointed Deputy Judge of the Rotterdam District Court by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix in January 1984.
He became a judge of the same court in March 1985 and was appointed a judge of the Joint Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba on October 1, 1986. This court comprises various courts of first instance in Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and a Court of Appeal.