(Kaieteur News) – The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has announced a major change to the way judges are assigned to cases, with all judges of the regional court now required to sit on all panels unless they are formally excused for a legitimate reason.

The announcement, made Wednesday in a brief notice dated August 19, comes just days after CCJ President Justice Winston Anderson publicly denied allegations that judicial panels had been manipulated to influence the outcome of cases.

Under the revised arrangements, the CCJ said all of its judges will sit on all panels, subject only to a judge being formally excused from sitting for a legitimate reason. The Court said the new system is intended to promote “consistency, transparency, and flexibility” in the allocation of judicial work and to support the efficient administration of justice.