Appeal court at full strength

(CNS): For the first time the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal can boast a five man line up of justices following the oaths of office taken by the last two members yesterday morning (Thursday, 11 December). The new president of the Court of Appeal, the Rt. Hon. Sir John Chadwick, and Justice of Appeal, Dr the Hon. Abdulai Conteh, took their oaths in the presence of the Acting Governor, the Hon. George McCarthy and Cheif Justice Anthony Smellie.

 Judge Chadwick, QC, was formerly a Lord Justice of Appeal of England and Wales (1997-2007) and a Judge of the Courts of Appeal of Jersey and Guernsey (1986 – 1992). He was appointed a Judge of the High Court of England and Wales, Chancery Division in 1991. He currently holds judicial office as a Lieutenant Bailiff in Guernsey and a Judge of the Court of the Dubai International Financial Centre.

Dr Conteh has been Chief Justice of Belize since 2000. He is a trustee of the Caribbean Court of Justice and has served as Attorney General and in several ministerial positions including Minister of Justice in his home country of Sierra Leone. Dr Conteh has served in other capacities as an international jurist, including as the UN consultant for the restoration of the judicial administration of East Timor

Welcoming the new judges, the Acting Governor said he hoped that Cayman would benefit from their wide and varied expertise while they in turn would find their stint in the Islands fruitful. The CJ Smellie congratulated and welcomed the incoming President and Justice of Appeal and said that he looked forward to working with them for the improvement of the administration of justice in the Islands.

The two new judges join the court’s other new appointee, the Hon. Geoffrey Vos, QC. Vos was sworn in on 24 November and joined the Hon. Justice Ian Forte, who was Acting President, and the Hon. Justice Elliott Mottley, QC, for the November-December session of the court.