Former Caribbean Court of Justice Judge Jacob Wit passes away at 71

Justice Jacob Wit, a highly regarded former Judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice, passed away at the age of 71.

The news of his death was conveyed via media release by the Caribbean Court of Justice. The CCJ paid tribute to Justice Wit by way of a message which highlighted his contributions to the organisation as an inaugural member of the CCJ’s bench back in 2005.

Wit had taken the decision to retire recently, owing to his deteriorating health, yet his passing has come as a huge blow to many in the region who admired him for his steadfastness.

The CCJ also stated that he served the court with diligence and distinction right up till his retirement in December of 2023.

Representatives of the CCJ have said the following in an official statement, “This native of the Netherlands was an eminent jurist with wide legal expertise in private law, commercial and admiralty law, insurance, bankruptcy and insolvency, company law and intellectual property, criminal law, military law, administrative law, constitutional law, and international human rights law.”

“It is a sad day for the Court. Justice Wit and I worked together since 2005 when we formed part of the inaugural Bench of the Court. He was the lone Civil Law Judge on the current CCJ Bench with rich experience in military law, administrative law, constitutional law, and international human rights law," said the reigning President of the Caribbean Court of Justice issued the following statement.

He added, “His involvement with the CCJ Academy for Law and his role in coordinating the Academy’s most recent Biennial Conference and Regional Town Hall focusing on crime, paired with his passion for regional criminal justice reform are recognised and deeply appreciated. I will certainly miss him and his contributions to the Court and to the region.”

Justice Jacob Wit was highly regarded by those involved in the field of law for his impressive resume, prior to taking up a position on the Caribbean Court of Justice as well. He is known to have presided over cases in Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, and the Dutch Windward Islands of St Maarten, St Eustatius, and Saba.

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This added to his reputation immensely and placed him as one of the authorities in the region in the realm of law, order and legislative affairs.

He also offered his services to St Maarten specifically, where he served as a part time President of the Constitutional Court. Beyond that, he also had the honour of serving as a Ranking Member of the Caribbean Court of Justice’s Academy for Law, further adding to his already vast and impressive resume.

He is deservedly appreciated by many for playing a significant role in building and maintaining the public’s faith in the judicial system as a high-ranking representative of the profession. For his many contributions, he was given the Nederlandse Juristen Vereniging Award, highlighting the enormity of the work he did for the benefit of the region over a long and glorious career.