Caribbean states commit to advancing joint investigation teams’ framework
Caribbean states have committed to advancing the development of a regional framework for Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) following a two-day legal forum hosted in Barbados.
During the forum, which was hosted by the Office of the Attorney General of Barbados and sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Regional Security System (RSS), mechanisms for strengthening cross-border financial investigations and asset recovery were examined.
Director of Strategic Services and International Affairs at the RSS, Rhea Reid-Bowen, said one of the major outcomes of the forum was an agreement from participating countries to move the initiative forward.
“At the conclusion of the Legal Forum, there was a firm commitment from countries to advance the concept of Joint Investigation Teams in the Caribbean. It was agreed that the Model Framework agreement would be completed and forwarded to Attorneys General for review. Recommendations suggested that Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) would significantly benefit the Caribbean region and should be adapted from the Eurojust model to suit regional legal systems and operational realities. Furthermore, it was recommended that a pilot JIT involving at least two jurisdictions be established in the coming months.” Mrs. Reid-Bowen stated.
Addressing some of the key challenges discussed during the forum, she explained that while differences in legislative frameworks across Caribbean jurisdictions could affect cross-border investigations and asset recovery efforts, they were surmountable.
“The operationalisation of a JITs mechanism requires participating countries to agree on criteria for evidence admissibility, disclosure of information and the terms and conditions under which foreign LEAs participating in the JIT, will be deployed in the respective territories throughout the Caribbean. The model framework agreement must therefore incorporate standards that are flexible or broad enough to guide competent authorities in crafting a suitable agreement governing their specific JITs that would be established in the future,” Mrs. Reid-Bowen explained.
Emphasising that a regional JIT framework would significantly improve the speed and coordination of criminal investigations across the Caribbean, she noted that the forum agreed that the Concept Paper on JITs should be presented to national Cabinets for endorsement. It was further recommended that the proposed framework be submitted to other regional organs, such as the CARICOM Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE), to secure wider regional political support.
“A regional JIT framework would improve cooperation by allowing competent authorities to gather and exchange evidence directly without relying on traditional mutual legal assistance processes. It would also enhance intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and collaboration among prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions. Additionally, the framework would provide standardised procedures and agreements tailored to Caribbean legal systems, thereby reducing conflicts between parallel investigations, the RSS official opined.
Looking ahead, Mrs. Reid-Bowen said the RSS would also explore potential opportunities for collaboration with Eurojust and EL PACTO to support cross border investigations involving European and Latin American jurisdictions.