Jamaican judge recruited to Cayman bench
(CNS): Justice Ingrid Mangatal has been appointed as a full-time Grand Court Judge here in Cayman after what officials said was an open recruitment process for the bench. As Cayman’s court dockets get busier and busier the pressing need for more court space and judges is growing. Justice Mangatal joins a team of four alongside the chief justice that are handing family, civil and the ever growing criminal lists. The recruitment process was carried out in July and August by the judicial and legal services commission who advertised the post locally and overseas. Following a short-listing process, an interview panel interviewed five people and recommended Justice Mangatal who will start in January.
No stranger to Cayman she has acted as a visiting judge in the Cayman Islands Grand Court and recently acted as an appellate judge in Jamaica’s Court of Appeal.
“I am confident that Justice Mangatal’s breadth of knowledge, skills and experience in both civil and criminal matters will prove to be invaluable to the Cayman Islands Judiciary and the people as a whole” said Governor Helen Kilpatrick, who confirmed her appointment. “I look forward to formally welcoming her back to the Cayman Islands, this time in her full-time position, in the New Year.”
A graduate of the University of the West Indies and of the Norman Manley Law School, Kingston, Jamaica Magnatal was called to the bar in 1987.
She started practice in Kingston as an associate in the litigation department of the law firm Perkins Tomlinson Grant Stewart & Co. She then became an associate and subsequently partner in the law firm Dunn Cox Orrett & Ashenheim, now Dunn Cox. She specialized in commercial and civil litigation. She entered public service in 2000 when she was appointed as Resident Magistrate and then Senior Assistant Attorney General, and Director of Litigation, in the Attorney General’s Department where she was in charge of civil litigation brought against the Government of Jamaica.
Whilst at the Attorney General’s Department, Mangatal handled a wide range of public law cases, including judicial review and constitutional matters, officials stated in a release about her appointment.
Justice Mangatal has also served on the Supreme Court bench in Jamaica from 2003 to now and has presided over both criminal and civil courts. Between 2011 and 2013 she served as a judge in Jamaica’s Commercial Court, handling complex commercial and financial matters.
Category: Local News
23:52.Well said my friend. My $3,000.00 fridge broke down last week. I called the service department and they sent over a Jamaican to fix it. The technician needed a part and it was another Jamaican that brought it over. I later went to my office and the lock was broken. I called for the locksmith and a Jamaican turned up. My mother called me later that night to tell me that her pipe had burst. It was only a Jamaican company I could get hold of that sent out a plumber at 9:00 PM. On my way back home, I stopped at the gasstation,and it was a Jamaican pumping my gas at 11:00PM. The following mornig, my wife woke me up at 5:30 AM to ask me for my keys, because the Car Wash guy was outside to wash my vehicle. I politely said 'Good morning young man, you are very early". To my surprise, he responded. 'Boss-man, di early birds katch di most whorms. and mi book-up till 7 a clack dis evening'. My car washer was a Jamaican. When I left for work at 8:00, a team of Jamaicans drove in to clean my yard. The pool man who is another Jamaican was scheduled for 11:00 AM also.
On my way to work, my car horn went out. I called a mobile mechanic service and it was a Jamaican.
I can only add to the writer and conclude that Jamaicans are strong people. We should all pick a leaf off their tree and prepare our people to be, Judges, Teachers, Nurses, Doctors, Plumbers, Business Owners, Mechanics, Locksmiths, Electricians, Landscapers, Builders, Pool and Gas Attendants, Refridgerator Technicians, punctual delivery men, Nannies, Cooks, Accountants. By the way, I have an appointment with my Barber, who is a Jamaican employed by one of us, a Caymanian.
Best wishes, Justice Ingrid Mangatal and welcome to the Cayman Islands.
I keep wondering why though we are unable to recruit any Caymanian lawyers to be judges..
That should be obvious to you.
They are too busy Carrying their sacred vessels into the temple of Batabano.
Conflict of interest would come into play too much.
SO majority of work permit holders = Jamaican
Majority of persons married to Caymanian = Jamaican
Majority of status holders = Jamaican
majority of police officers = Jamaican
Majority of legal personnel = Jamaican
Yet the excuse used for years was that can't recruit Caymanian officers, legal personnel because not remote enough in terms of family and or knowledge. BUT as a BOTC we can continue to have a legal system controlled by Jamaicans?
No wonder Caymanians have given up and now only attack Fillipinos, English etc., they aredominated by numbers and key positions and most English/Canadians feel the same way so when they hire their token professional lawyer/accountant they feel compelled to give the black Jamaican first choice vs a local, they know who controls the legal system and who they need to appease. [if you think it isn't true, do a check on young professionals in any firm and check their nationality]
Our intimidated leaders have put us on a path that if not controlled now will turn Cayman into worse aspects of Jamaica and even the Jamaicans who didn't care will end up losing the opportunities themselves, so people who think treating locals unfairly in favour of Jamaicans will work, ask the white Jamaicans who took over Ja on independence and had to run here, was it worth it it?
shut up
And you think it's not happening now? Why is that only Caymanians get accused of not being capable of showing fairness and objectiivty?
If we look at our society I would say Caymanians are the best at hurting their own so we should have no fear of conflict of interest. Now, all those with loyalty to their own, hmmm., therein lies the problem folks.
Because Caymanians seem to mainly do corporate work and are very few and far between in litigation. Judges come from the ranks of litigators.
What about S A McField Esq? I guess he is a man knows and knows that he knows, so many of those who knows not and knows not that they know not won't have him there, they would rather get a judge from across the pond, who was a judge in a bicycle court. Only in Cayman, only in Cayman this is why we are regressing so fast.
McField on Chewbacca Defences is about to enter its 5th edition. He is a constitutional heavyweight. He is the trusted go-to man of such fine honest upstanding men of honor and integrity as McKeeva "I wasn't gambling" Bush. The judicial application form practically writes itself.
Did MCField pass any exams? Just haskin.
If you don't know the names of Caymanian litigators I will be happy to enlighten you and the rest of the public.
Go on then.
Another Jamaican judge? Who is doing these recruitments? A Jamaican judicial panel of Jamaicans.
If they appointed an English judge there would be an equal number of complainers about that. You can't win in Cayman if you are not a born Caymanian. I would have appointed an experienced lawyer like Steve McField if I was in charge of recruitment but no one seems to listen to me.
Well he'd have to apply for it first, wouldn't he? And did he?
Or would you just appoint people whether they wanted it or not? I've got a horrible feeling you just might, you idiot.
Agree 16:07 there must be applications so question is do they apply to other jurisdictions and if they do, do they only use those applications from Ja to find an applicant? Was she the only applicant?
Please advise us of all the cases that McField has won as most of them have bypassed me.
Did you really think 8:35 was being serious?
I think you inadvertently slipped in a "not" there. "You can't win in Cayman if you are a born Caymanian".
No I did not miss out a "not" 17:21. You all are just too blind to see the truth-all the cards are stacked in born Caymanians' favour but they are too damn lazy and "entitled" to take advantage of them.
Fact: there are no Jamaicans on the Judicial and Legal Services Commission.
For goodness sake check before spewing your prejudices over the rest of us.
No Jamaicans on the JLSC?
Check the spouses and parents and birth, there must be Jacan connections in some way, that's just how our Judicial system is not set up.
The facts are the facts
I repeat: there are none.
It's a matter of public record.
wrong there are
Who, then?
THERE ARE NONE!!! How many times does it have to be said?!
I find it quite disturbing to see yet another Jamaican being aded to our already Jamaicanized judicial system. I am not anti-Jamaican or prejudiced and I am sure Ms. Mangatal meets the qualifications, however I truly believe that something is terribly out of balance when the judicial system of a first world country like Cayman (from our Police Force right up to the Attorney General) is overwhelmingly infused with persons from a single third world country like Jamaica and propped up with others from third world countries in the region We have got to stop this madness and bring some balance to the scales. It is inconceivable that we keep importing from one territory to fill our judicial shortcomings.
@18:55…Please go and buy the book "He hath founded it upon the sea" Then that will answer your question.
At the end of the day Jamaica is considered one of the strongest cribbean country. Remembe the phrase ONE from Ten leave ZERO.
The strongest in the Caribbean? That's why we are overflowing with so many of them. Happy motoring
WAS. That saying is some 50 years old.
I also find it very disturbing, agree with all your points in your comment . This looks like we are ruled by Ja instead UK . I have said this before , that the Caymanians need to wake up and get up in the face of these politians and demand them to work for the people and the Island , instead of working for their own intrest . If we dont , all we Caymanians would be good for is our vote . Cayman is in a sad state with politicts and crime .
No matter who you put to run government, all you hear their hands are tied. I hope they will not only tie their hands in the future.
Why not ask Franz, Eric, and Alden WHY the entire civil service is so lopsided??? I know of four TOP Caymanians passed over for contract renewal in Government this calendar year 2014.
1 Advanced degree IT Senior Manager, 1 Advanced certified Accountant, ! Advanced degree ProjectManager and 1 Advanced degreed Engineer, who were ALL PASSED OVER for on-contract expats who sadly were less qualified than the locals?!?
This is madness. When we have better qualified locals passed over for expat contracts- what is the reason (beyond power perhaps??) to keep hiring from overseas and have zero succession planning in place?
Eric, your MOHA departments are the worse, but we can single out General Registry, Customs, and IT for all passing over qualified locals this calendat year.
So Alden, you can't say this was a UDP problem, this is happening under your nose and the biggest offenders are your men: Eric & Franz – holding our own qualified locals back while re-signing overseas contracts that include living perks we can only dream of???
FOI, FOI, name & shame
12:03, you are full of it my troll friend. Caymanians are not hired on fixed term contracts requiring contract renewal unless they are over 60. They are hired on open ended contract terms ie "for life".
Hey is that not happening in the private sector too? Who’s is supposed to prevent that? Immigration? Who is in charge of Immigration?
Oh.
Let's be fair. If the Cayman Islands were to be detached from HRM do you think this would be a "first world" country? The most brilliant minds in our region comes from Jamaica, it's only fair that you try to tap into that level of intelligence. I do also hope that you are lobbying to have the tourist areas stop using the Rasta colours i.e. the red, yellow and green (check which countrythat Rastafarianism started). Remember your colours are, red, blue and white (British flag colours). Have a wonderful day.
Those brilliant minds have us in the corner where we will always remain, unless the new generation take it into their hands. Have a nice day.
'new generation'?? most of the new generation ARE Jamaican so yes we better worry
Jamaicans are selling those!
@12;58 You calim that 'The most brilliant minds in our region comes from Jamaica' please keep that statement in correct perspective.
First of all Ja has millionsof people so should have a few good ones but look at what the majority are doing to each other and in every country.
Second, if the minds are brilliant why is a country with so many resources and beauty not capable of using those 'minds' to make Ja a safer, less corrupt island filled with so much atrocious crimes?
Please don't blame the colonial era because you asked for independence, got it and look at Ja now? Lord knows for decades the people have heard about the ills of colonial rule and Marley's profound lyrics are still the only brilliant mind I can hear because blaming the colonial rule will make it easier to maintain the mental slavery.
Hence having brillinat minds is one thing but how has history shown it is being used is another important question.
What time limit is put on those contracts? Open ended as usual. What the hell is happening here.
Let's hope she is similar to Ramsey. I miss Ramsey!
I do miss her presence in Cayman as well. However I would like to remind some of us that when a woman goes to hospital for delivery its usually a Jamaican to deliver her. When she takes the baby home there is a Jamaican Nanny there awaiting to take care of the baby. When its time for school there is a Jamaican Teacher to educate the child. Upon leaving school and looking for a job most of the time there is a Jamaican in Hr to interview for the job. When they mess up there is a Jamaican Cop awaiting with hand cuffs. When sent to Court there is a Jamaican there to give the verdict. Finally when sent to Northward there are also Jamaicans there to take care of you. All I have to say as a Caymanian is that they must be strong people.
More expats?
Welcome to Justice Mangatal's presence at the Cayman Islands Courts in the New Year. It is a pleasure that assistance is on the way for the Judicial Department especially Justice Smellie along with other Judges.that are overworked and burden with more than their hands full of cases to bring to a closure. It is often wondered how their mental state of mind keeps them going especially when you have cases of a high magnitude, and being short of the required assistance …………- "Father bless them in their hard work".
It is envisaged Justice Mangatal will be given the opportunity of dealing with some of the complexed family commercial financial matters that are interlinked beyond the Cayman Islands – A start is made with these matters, but there is no communications on the outcomes of the end in the absence of a Lawyer. The process spills over into years and years with no ending in sight. conclu
Say wha?!
Spend the taxpayers dollars wisely. Make sure contracts are not open ended. God bless the Cayman Islands.