(Kaieteur News) – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has agreed to refer the contentious reappointment of Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) for an advisory opinion, following a formal objection from Trinidad and Tobago over the legality of the process used to grant her a second term.

The compromise was reached during a Heads of Government Retreat held on 6th July, 2026, on the margins of the 51st CARICOM Summit in St. Lucia, chaired by St. Lucian Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre.

The diplomatic rift became public following a detailed 22-page letter sent to regional leaders by Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar. In the letter, obtained by the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), Persad-Bissessar stated that Port-of-Spain does not recognise the validity of Dr. Barnett’s second term.