OO v BK

• Jurisdiction: Caribbean States
• Court: Caribbean Court of Justice
• Judge: Rajnauth-Lee J,Saunders P,Anderson,Jamadar JJ
• Judgment Date: 28 July 2023
• Docket Number: CCJ Appeal No BBCV2022/001

BETWEEN

OO

Appellant

and

BK

The Attorney General of Barbados

Respondents

and

Operation Safe Space Movement for Change (OSS) in Association with International Center for Advocates Against Discrimination (ICAAD) Inc

UN Women, Multi Country Office – Caribbean

Amici Curiae

[2023] CCJ 10 (AJ) BB

Before:

Mr Justice Saunders, President

Mr Justice Anderson

Mme Justice Rajnauth-Lee

Mr Justice Barrow

Mr Justice Jamadar

CCJ Appeal No BBCV2022/001

BB Civil Appeal No 1 of 2020

IN THE CARIBBEAN COURT OF JUSTICE

APPELLATE JURISDICTION

ON APPEAL FROM THE COURT OF APPEAL OF BARBADOS

Statute — Interpretation — Meaning of former spouse' — Cohabitational relationship — Domestic relationship — Visiting relationship — Application for protection order — Application denied — Magistrate held that appellant was not a former spouse — Magistrate's decision upheld by Court of Appeal — Whether appellant entitled to seek protection under Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act — Whether Magistrate correct to rely on opinion of appellant on issue of law — Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act, Cap 130A, ss 2, 4.

Cases referred to:

A-G of Guyana v Richardson [2018] CCJ 17 (AJ), (2018) 92 WIR 416; A-G of Guyana v Thomas [2022] CCJ 15 (AJ) GY, [2023] 2 LRC 298; A-G v Joseph [2006] CCJ 3 (AJ) (BB), (2006) 69 WIR 104; Ali v David [2020] CCJ 10 (AJ) GY, (2020) 99 WIR 363; A-G of Belize v Zuniga [2014] CCJ 2 (AJ) (BZ), (2014) 84 WIR 101; Attorney-General's Reference (No 5 of 2002) [2004] UKHL 40, [2005] 1 AC 167; Belize International Services Ltd v AG of Belize [2020] CCJ 9 (AJ) BZ, [2021] 1 LRC 36; Bisram v DPP [2022] CCJ 7 (AJ) (GY), [2022] 5 LRC 1; Chung Chi Chung v R [1939] AC 160; Commissioner of Police v Alleyne [2022] CCJ 2 (AJ) BB, [2022] 2 LRC 590; Da Penha v Brazil, Case 12.051, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Report No 54/01, OEA/Ser L/V/II/111 doc 20 rev (2000); Francois v A-G of Saint Lucia LC 2001 HC 16 (CARILAW), (24 May 2001); Grant v Grant LC 2002 HC 30 (CARILAW), (17 December 2002); Guyana Geology and Mines Commission v BK International Inc [2021] CCJ 13 (AJ) (GY), [2022] 2 LRC 491; Guyana Sugar Corp Inc v Dhanessar [2015] CCJ 4 (AJ) (GY), GY 2015 CCJ 1 (CARILAW); Hinds v R [1977] AC 195; Kazemi Estate v Islamic Republic of Iran [2014] 3 SCR 176; Marin v R [2021] CCJ 6 (AJ) BZ, BZ 2021 CCJ 001 (CARILAW); McEwan v A-G of Guyana [2018] CCJ 30 (AJ) (GY), (2019) 94 WIR 332; Moge v Moge [1992] 3 SCR 813; Nervais v R [2018] CCJ 19 (AJ) (BB), (2018) 92 WIR 178; Observer Publications Ltd v Matthew [2001] UKPC 11, (2001) 58 WIR 188 (AG); Office of the Children's Lawyer v Balev [2018] 4 LRC 241; Opuz v Turkey (2009) 48 ILM 909; Persaud v Nizamudin [2020] CCJ 4 (AJ) (GY), GY 2020 CCJ 1 (CARILAW); Public Service Appeal Board v Maraj [2010] UKPC 29, (2010) 78 WIR 461 (TT); R (Friends of the Earth Ltd) v Secretary of State for Transport [2020] UKSC 52, [2021] 2 All ER 967; R v Flowers [2020] CCJ 16 (AJ) BZ, [2020] 5 LRC 628; R v Lavallee [1990] 1 SCR 852; R v Parks (1993) 15 OR (3d) 324 (CA); R v RDS [1997] 3 SCR 484; R (Chester) v Secretary of State for Justice [2013] 3 WLR 1076; Sabapathee v State [1999] 4 LRC 403; Smith v Selby [2017] CCJ 13 (AJ) (BB), (2017) 91 WIR 70; Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada v Entertainment Software Association [2022] 4 LRC 518; Stockhausen v Willis JM 2008 SC 83 (CARILAW), (16 July 2008); Titan International Securities Inc v A-G of Belize [2018] CCJ 28 (AJ) (BZ), (2019) 94 WIR 96; Tomlinson v State of Belize [2016] CCJ 1 (OJ), (2016) 88 WIR 273; Triquet v Bath (1764) 3 Burr 1478, 97 ER 936; Trust Co (Guyana) Ltd v Guyana Securities Council [2021] CCJ 11 (AJ) GY, (2021) 99 WIR 422; Velasquez-Rodriguez v Honduras (1989) 28 ILM 294.

Legislation referred to:

Anguilla - Domestic Violence Act 2015; Antigua and Barbuda - Domestic Violence (Summary Proceedings) Act 1999, Domestic Violence Act 2015; The Bahamas - Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act 2007, Sexual Offences Act 1991; Barbados - Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act, Cap 130A, Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) (Amendment) Act 2016, Family Law Act 1981, Interpretation Act, Cap 1, Preamble to the Constitution of Barbados 1966; Belize - Domestic Violence Act, Cap 178; Grenada - Domestic Violence Act, Cap 84; Guyana - Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Cap 1:01; New Zealand - Domestic Violence Act 1995; Saint Christopher and Nevis - Domestic Violence Act 2014; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Domestic Violence (Summary Proceedings) Act 1995, Domestic Violence Act 2015; Saint Kitts and Nevis - Domestic Violence Act 2000, Domestic Violence Act 2022; Saint Lucia - Domestic Violence (Summary Proceedings) Act 1995, Domestic Violence Act 2022; Trinidad and Tobago - Domestic Violence Act 1991, Domestic Violence Act 1999, Domestic Violence (Amendment) Act 2020; United Kingdom - Domestic Abuse Act 2021; United States - An Act Concerning the Definition of Domestic Violence, Revising Statutes Concerning Domestic Violence, Child Custody, Family Relations Matter Filings and Bigotry or Bias Crimes and Creating a Program to Provide Legal Counsel to Indigents in Restraining Order Cases, Public Acts 2021, No 21-78.

Treaties and International Materials referred to:

Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Fourth World Conference on Women (adopted 15 September 1995) A/CONF 177/20 and A/CONF 177/20/Add.1; Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (adopted 18 December 1979, entered into force 3 September 1981) 1249 UNTS 13; Convention on the Rights of the Child (adopted 20 November 1989, entered into force 2 September 1990) 1577 UNTS 3; Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women (Convention of Belem do Para) (adopted 9 June 1994, entered into force 5 March 1995) (1994) 33 ILM 1534; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (adopted 19 December 1966, entered into force 23 March 1976) 999 UNTS 171; Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (adopted 6 October 1999, entered into force 22 December 2000) 2131 UNTS 83; UN Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), ‘Concluding Observations on the combined fifth to eighth periodic reports of Barbados’ (24 July 2017) CEDAW/C/BRB/CO/5-8; UN Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean, ‘Countries that have signed and ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women’ (UN ECLAC Division for Gender Affairs) < https://oig.cepal.org/en/indicators/countries-have-signed-and-ratified-optional-protocol- convention-elimination-all-forms> accessed 7 June 2023; United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), ‘Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review: Barbados’ (12 March 2013) UN Doc A/HRC/23/11.

Other Sources referred to:

Antoine R-M B, Commonwealth Caribbean Law and Legal Systems (Routledge 2008); Austin S, ‘A Hybrid Family Court In The Making’, Barbados Government Information Service (St Michael, 19 November 2018) < https://gisbarbados.gov.bb/blog/a-hybrid- family-court-in-the-making/> accessed 21 June 2023; Bailey D and Norbury L, Bennion, Bailey and Norbury on Statutory Interpretation (8th ed, LexisNexis 2020); Barbados, Hansard, House of Assembly, 1st Session 1991-1996 (12 March 1991); Barbados, Hansard, House of Assembly, 1st Session 2013-2018 (2 February 2016); Bennion F A R, Bennion on Statutory Interpretation (5 ^th edn, LexisNexis 2008); Bernard D, ‘Employing Strategies to Combat Violence Against Women’ (Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs Distinguished Lecture and Workshop Series, Port of Spain, Trinidad, 26 September 2005); Bernard D, Reflections and Opinions (Hansib Publications 2018); ‘Bringing an End to Violence against Women and Girls and Femicide or Feminicide: A Key Challenge for Building a Care Society’ (UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) 2022); Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers (CAJO), Criminal Bench Book for Barbados, Belize, Guyana (2023); Caribbean Development Research Services Inc (CADRES), ‘Domestic Violence in Barbados: Report on a National Study Designed to Determine the Prevalence and Characteristics of Domestic Violence in Barbados’ (2009); Domestic Violence Law Reform Working Committee, Report on the Consultation on Domestic Violence Legislation (Ministry of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth - Bureau of Gender Affairs, 20 July 2012); ‘Family Court coming, says AG’, Barbados Today, (Bridgetown, 12 March 2023) < https://barbadostoday.bb/2023/03/12/family-court-coming-says-ag/ > accessed 7 June 2023; Greaves T and Evanson H, ‘Hunt for killer’ Nation News (St Michael, 15 April 2018) < https://www.nationnews.com/2018/04/15/hunt-for-killer/ > accessed 7 June 2023; Haarr R, ‘Research Brief - Intimate Partner Violence in Five CARICOM Countries: Findings from National Prevalence Surveys on Violence Against Women’ (Caribbean Development Bank and UN Women, 2020) < https://caribbean.unwomen.org/en/materials/publications/2021/7/research-brief---intimate-partner-violence-in-five-caricom-countries#view> accessed 7 June 2023; Hinds M, ‘Cap130 A - the Domestic Violence Protection Orders Act: An Advocate's Perspective’ (OSS, January 2023); Hornby A S, Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English (7th edn, Oxford University Press 2005); Joseph E, ‘COP Reports Drop in Major Offences in 2021’ Barbados Today (Bridgetown, 7 January 2022) < https://barbadostoday.bb/2022/01/07/cop-reports-drop-in-maior-offences-in-2021/> accessed 7 June 2023; Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening (JURIST) Project, Revised Model Guidelines for Sexual Offence Cases in the Caribbean...