A Caribbean lawyer says the decision by Britain to abolish the post of Lord Chancellor provides an opportunity for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States to assume full control over the appointment of its Chief Justice. At present the British Lord Chancellor advises the Queen on such appointments in consultation with the various OECS leaders, a process that will now need to be reviewed. The St Lucian Prime Minister and OECS chairman Dr Kenny Anthony is expected to visit London to discuss the various implications of the change with British officials soon. Dr Anthony, has said the governments of the nine-member OECS should now re-examine the laws and procedures, which govern the appointment of the Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. The St. Lucian premier has been urging Caribbean countries to begin putting in place the necessary mechanisms to govern their various institutions, since the sub-region cannot expect Britain to retain positions in their laws to facilitate appeals to the London-based Privy Council. "The proposed changes announced by the British Government underscore the correctness of the decision of the Caribbean countries to establish the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to replace the Privy Council," he said. He said that urgent consultations would be held with the Attorneys General of the OECS to assess the implications and agree on a joint approach. Attorney and legal affairs commentator Victor Cuffy of St Vincent and the Grenadines told BBC Caribbean Service that while the UK decision on the post of Lord Chancellor, leave the OECS in a dilemma, they also create an opportunity for the region to take control of it’s future. "What it tells us in the Caribbean is it’s time to get on with what we have to do in completely retrieving our sovereignty," Mr Cuffy said. "We still have a way to go on this and I think that’s part of the problem," he said. "If the Lord Chancellor is to go then may be it’s a very good situation for us to retrieve the situation and have it all done down here," he said. SOURCE: BBCCARIBBEAN.COM