Ecsc Designates Pockwood Pond Location for Court
The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has designated space at the R&R Malone Complex in Pockwood Pond as an official court for sittings. The development follows Cabinet's recent approval and funding for a third Commercial Court to expand the Territory's judicial capacity through 2029.
The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) has officially designated a new location in Pockwood Pond to conduct court sittings, marking a potential expansion in the Territory's judicial infrastructure following the recent approval of a third Commercial Court. According to an official notice published in the Official Gazette on September 10, 2026, Her Ladyship the Honourable Madam Margaret Price-Findlay, Chief Justice, directed and declared that Unit No.
Z, Upper Floor, Building 2, R&R Malone Complex, Pockwood Pond, Tortola, is designated as a court for the purposes of conducting ECSC sittings. While the notice did not explicitly specify whether the location will host criminal or commercial proceedings, nor specify the exact date for the inaugural sitting, it coincides with broader efforts to accommodate expanded court operations.
This designation follows an August 19 decision by the Cabinet of the Virgin Islands approving the establishment of a third Commercial Court under the ECSC. To support the expansion, Cabinet confirmed funding spanning 2026 to 2029 to facilitate the appointment of an additional Commercial Court Judge, the recruitment of essential court administration staff, and the acquisition of commercial rental space.
Matters are anticipated to be heard in the expanded commercial court framework starting in the fourth quarter of 2026. Originally established in 2009, the Commercial Court in the Virgin Islands is designed to manage complex, high-value corporate and business litigation. The Virgin Islands currently hosts one of only two Commercial Divisions in the ECSC circuit, with the second division based in Saint Lucia.
The division holds jurisdiction over commercial claims with a minimum value threshold of US$500,000. Expanding court infrastructure is widely viewed as a critical step in preserving the efficiency, capacity, and global standing of the Territory's legal and financial services sectors.
Because the Virgin Islands serves as the registered domicile for hundreds of thousands of international business companies, the local commercial bench regularly presides over major international corporate disputes, cross-border insolvency matters, and high-stakes asset recovery proceedings.
The Cabinet meeting that authorized the court expansion funding was chaired by Acting Governor David D. Cabinet members were in attendance for the decision, with the exception of the Deputy Premier and Minister for Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, and the Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports.
Primary source: VINO