Strong, independent courts are critical to Caribbean development, crime reduction and public trust, Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) judge Denys Barrow said on Thursday, warning that without confidence in justice systems societies risk a breakdown in law and order.

Justice Barrow was delivering the William G. Demas Memorial Lecture at the Caribbean Development Bank’s 56th annual meeting.

Speaking on the theme Contributions of the Courts to Caribbean Development: The Enduring Importance of Strong Institutions, Justice Barrow argued that development must ultimately be measured by improvements in people’s lives rather than economic targets or infrastructure projects alone.