Sir John Goldring to lead local appeal court
(CNS): Following a recruitment process last year by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission for the position of president of the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal, Sir John Goldring, a new member of the panel, has been appointed by the governor based on the commission’s recommendation. Sir John Chadwick retired from the position this month and the new president was sworn in via video link by Helen Kilpatrick on Thursday. He is expected to serve until November 2019.
Following the announcement of Chadwick’s retirement, the remaining members of the appeal court were given the opportunity to submit expressions of interest for the post through an internal recruitment process conducted by the commission. Officials did not say which of the current appeal court justices — Sir Bernard Rix, Sir George Newman, John Martin QC, Sir Richard Field, Justice (Cecil) Dennis Morrison and Sir Alan Moses — applied.
The governor said the British judge brings “many diverse skills and years of valuable experience” to the job. “I trust he will continue to enhance the work of the Court of Appeal in his new post,” she said.
Still based in the UK, Sir John Goldring currently serves as Coroner for South Yorkshire (East) and West Yorkshire (West), conducting the fresh inquests into those who died as a result of the Hillsborough disaster.
He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1987 and elected a Bencher in 1996. He was appointed a Recorder in 1987, a Deputy Senior Judge, Sovereign Base Areas, Cyprus from 1991 to 1999, a Deputy High Court Judge in 1996 and a Judge of the Courts of Appeal of Jersey and Guernsey in 1998.
Sir John was appointed a High Court Judge (Queen’s Bench Division) in 1999; he served as a Presiding Judge for the Midland Circuit from 2002 to 2005 and Commissioner for the Judicial Appointments Commission from 2006 to 2008. He became a Lord Justice of Appeal in 2008, Deputy Senior Presiding Judge of England and Wales from 2008 to 2009 and Senior Presiding Judge of England and Wales from 2010 to 2012.
I’m sure we all wish Mr.Goldring all good fortune. (Sorry, Mr Goldring, I don’t recognize idiotic heraldic titles!)
Thanks JLSC.
What a difference it makes when selecting Judges isn’t the purview of the CJ and Governor alone.
Or tainted by Alden’s beloved Caymanization.
Another great hire. Wow