Four more appeal judges to tackle high court backlog

Justice Sir Alan Moses

(CNS): The chief justice has said that with a full complement of judges, the long delays in judgements from the appeal court will be addressed. Sir Richard Field, Justice (Cecil) Dennis Morrison, Sir Alan Moses and Sir John Goldring have all been appointed as new justices on Cayman Court of Appeal bench after an open recruitment process by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission when the posts were advertised locally and overseas.

Six legal experts were short-listed and a panel interviewed the candidates before recommending the four men for the job. The appointments were then confirmed by the governor.

Justice Sir John Goldring

During his speech at the opening of the Grand Court on Wednesday, Chief Justice Anthony Smellie revealed the transitions impacting the appeal court bench which had prompted the recruitment.

The first was the retirement of Justice Conteh, who continues to serve as an appellate judge in the Bahamas and has been called to serve in important capacities for the restoration of the justice system of his native Sierra Leone. The top judge also marked the “untimely passing” of Sir Richard Ground, as well as the retirement of Justice Sir Anthony Campbell, and revealed the departure of Justice Elliott Mottley later this year after some eight years of service on the Court of Appeal.

Justice Dennis Morrison

As a result, he welcomed the appointment of Justices Martin, Rix and Newman, who had already been appointed, as well as the expected appoint of four more judges confirmed Thursday. He said the new appointments brought the compliment of that court to eight justices of appeal.

“With this very full complement of appellate judges, it is indeed to be expected … that the inordinate delay in delivery of judgments will become a thing of the past,” he said. “There is already evidence of this as during the past year the Court of Appeal managed to deliver judgments in timely fashion.

Justice Sir Richard Field

“In the 19 civil appeals heard, 14 written judgments were delivered, three written judgments are awaited and judgments were reserved in two matters.”

He also confirmed that the long awaited judgment in the well-known Weavering case, in which the parties have waited some three years, was expected to be delivered shortly. With eight appeal court judges now in place, the chief justice said that arrangements could be put in place “to ensure that time is available for the production of outstanding judgments”, and he said he would raise the matter again with the president of the Court of Appeal.