WILLEMSTAD – Member of Parliament Sheldry Osepa (PNP) has sent a letter to Minister of Justice Shalten Hato raising concerns about the recently advertised vacancy for the position of President of the Common Court of Justice. 

The job posting, published in several media outlets, specifies that the ideal candidate must be fluent in Dutch and English, while knowledge of Papiamentu is considered merely an advantage. Osepa condemned the wording, describing it as an incomprehensible form of discrimination against Papiamentu.

According to the MP, the vacancy text reflects not only a lack of respect for Curaçao’s laws but also a disregard for the people of the island.

Osepa referred to Article 9 of the Kingdom Act on the Common Court of Justice, which states: “The Court and the Courts of First Instance deliver judgment in Dutch. In addition, the working languages at the Court and the Courts of First Instance are English, Dutch, and Papiamentu.”

The law, he stressed, places English, Dutch, and Papiamentu on equal footing.

Osepa concluded his letter with a strong message: “If we do not value and defend our language ourselves, no one else will do it for us.”