GREAT BAY--The Joint Court of Justice’s 2025 Annual Report shows that St. Maarten recorded an increase in new cases filed at the Court of First Instance in 2025, while the island’s pending caseload at year-end decreased compared to 2024.
According to the report, total first-instance case inflow for St. Maarten rose from 3,621 cases in 2024 to 4,130 cases in 2025. The increase was mainly reflected in administrative law and criminal law matters, while civil law inflow declined. St. Maarten’s civil law inflow moved from 1,145 cases in 2024 to 960 in 2025, administrative law inflow rose from 243 to 383, and criminal law inflow increased from 2,233 to 2,787.
The Joint Court’s 2025 report, titled “The Court in Transition,” covers the Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. The Court said 2025 was marked by change, strengthening and further professionalization, with work carried out across all locations to improve the quality of judicial decision-making, modernize processes and strengthen the organization as a whole.
For St. Maarten specifically, the report shows notable increases in several case categories. Administrative law cases under the LAR category rose from 137 in 2024 to 193 in 2025, while tax cases increased from 90 to 165. In the criminal law category, minor offenses increased from 1,415 to 1,740, regular criminal cases moved from 360 to 382, and other examining magistrate proceedings rose from 387 to 583.
Although new filings increased, St. Maarten’s total pending caseload at first instance decreased from 902 cases at the end of 2024 to 836 at the end of 2025. Civil law backlog declined from 721 to 593, while administrative law backlog rose from 181 to 243. Across all jurisdictions, the Court said the overall backlog decreased only slightly because inflow was virtually equal to outflow.
The report also shows that St. Maarten’s case outflow increased from 3,593 in 2024 to 4,057 in 2025. Criminal law outflow in St. Maarten rose sharply from 2,233 to 2,787, while civil law outflow moved from 998 to 954 and administrative law outflow from 362 to 316.
In appeals, St. Maarten recorded a decrease in new appeal cases, from 223 in 2024 to 172 in 2025. However, appeal outflow for St. Maarten increased from 232 to 264, and its pending appeal caseload declined from 221 to 140.
The annual report also singles out several St. Maarten-related institutional developments. Joost Veerman became Vice President for the St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba branches on June 1, 2025. The Management Board includes Kelvin Bloyden as the member representing St. Maarten, and the report notes that Nikisha Rogers from the St. Maarten location joined the Staff Council in 2025 after St. Maarten had been without representation for some time. Vianka Romney, also from the St. Maarten location, was appointed as the new administrative secretary.
The report further notes community-oriented work connected to the historic Courthouse in St. Maarten. Guided tours of the building are used not only to share its history, but also to collect voluntary donations for charity or social initiatives. In June 2025, a donation was presented to the St. Maarten delegation to support participation in a conference.
The Court also listed two St. Maarten-linked high-profile cases in the report. One involved a St. Maarten Member of Parliament who was ordered in summary proceedings to issue a partial rectification after statements about a lawyer were found partly unlawful. Another concerned a conviction for international arms trafficking from St. Maarten and St. Eustatius, in which the defendant was sentenced to 48 months in prison.
On complaints, the Court recorded 19 complaints in 2025 across its jurisdictions, including three from St. Maarten. One St. Maarten complaint concerning registry conduct and confidentiality was found partly admissible and partly well-founded. Another complaint related to a video-link hearing was found not founded, while a complaint about alleged procedural misconduct was still pending. St. Maarten also recorded one recusal request in 2025, which was declared inadmissible.
The Court said the 2025 to 2028 multi-year plan is now guiding work in quality, digitalization, human resources, operations, integrity, facilities and procurement. The organization also reported investments in IT infrastructure, publication processes, staff development and integrity systems, including external confidential advisors and internal dialogue on professional standards.
Financially, the Court reported that its 2025 financial statements closed with a virtually neutral result of Cg. -13,000, which will be charged to the Court’s general reserve. The report also states that the Court received an unqualified audit opinion for accuracy and legality in the 2025 reporting year.
The annual report is available through the Court’s official website in Dutch, English, Papiamentu and Papiamento. The Court said its annual reports provide insight into the execution of annual plans, case inflow and outflow, notable cases, financial policy and results, and staff experiences.
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