Three new acting judges added to bench
Hugh Southey, QC
(CNS): The new Cayman Islands governor, Martyn Roper, has made his first appointments to the local bench with three new justices. Judge Aileen Downey, Simon Russell Flint QC, and Hugh Southey QC will be added to the existing panel of acting Grand Court judges who help support the growing court dockets. The Judicial and Legal Services Commission carried out an open recruitment process last year, advertising the opportunity for inclusion on the panel. Due to the large number of highly qualified candidates, it conducted two sets of interviews to find the reserve judges, who will visit Cayman to sit on a variety of cases as and when they are needed.
Judge Aileen Downey
“The appointment of these three very experienced individuals, along with the previous appointments made on the recommendation by the Commission only serves to enhance the stellar reputation of our judiciary amongst both the local and international business communities” the governor said. “I look forward to welcoming them to the Cayman Islands.”
Judge Aileen Downey was called to the bar of England and Wales in 1991 and has practiced personal injury and family law for 23 years. She was appointed as a recorder in 2009 and as a circuit judge in 2014. She currently sits at West London Family Court.
Simon Russell Flint, QC
Simon Russell Flint, QC, was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1980 and made a QC in 2003. He was appointed as a recorder in 2000 and has carried out both prosecution and defence work in all aspects of the criminal law. He has been instructed by the local Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for cases here in Cayman on a number of occasions.
Hugh Southey, QC, is an English and Northern Irish QC based at Matrix Chambers who became a QC in 2010. Since then he has led in key public law and human rights cases at all levels up to and including the Supreme Court as well as in the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. He is a recorder of the Crown Court of England and Wales.
Not sure when domestic perpetrators would be actually dealt with properly in family court
Often judge XXX has ignored available evidences and even convictions from magistrates and crown court and enables perpetrators to legally abuse mothers in child court proceedings and constantly leaving mothers in stress and anxiety and further post separation abuse, even though contact us ordered by her and child is abused but no steps taken always keep on trying to increase contact instead of dealing with abuser fathers . Even perpetrators are allowed to intimidate the victim during the court proceedings in front of her …
Why this is even allowed?
That was Mr Choudhury problem why he got booted out of the Islands, because he didn’t appoint enough Judges . Governor Roper is smart .
Most of you are missing the key point. Here is the question. How many Caymanains applied for these jobs. I would venture a guess…zero. Why leave a job that pays $350k pa to take a part time job or even a full time job that pays far less.
me na want local judges…opens up room for…..
Hmmm…methinks it is time to embark on a life of crime!
Seriousness aside, what exactly do these individuals bring to our justice system that our own seasoned, Cayman-based professionals cannot?
As someone else rightly highlighted – far too many ongoing “isms” in the British Empire aka British Caliphate.
Competence for one!
Ok…try to keep up this time; to satisfy your inherent and culturally ingrained prejudice – I am including local judges originally from your background.
Understand now?
Experience…Judge Downey is already a full-time judge, the others have many years of experience sitting as deputy (acting) judges. We advertise an experienced and high quality judiciary; very, very few Caymanian attorneys have the experience and the personal qualities required (in fact I can only think of one).
What is the problem leading to all these temporary judges? Would the FCO care to explain? Maybe the court could streamline its antiquated procedure and speed things up so part time judges would not be necessary. It is shocking how long cases linger.
There are a few factors I can identify for you.
There has been an uptick in both criminal and family work. These cases can occupy a courtroom and judge for many days and need to be heard from start to finish by the same judge, so assigning one with no or few other judicial demands is ideal. From the look of it, Judge Downey will be helping out Justice Williams, and Simon Flint QC will be helping out with the criminal matters. Hugh Southey QC with a public law and human rights background and current experience as a Recorder is suited to the Civil Division which hears all these challenges against the government and deals with general litigation which tends to increase as the population does. Essentially there are likely to be demand-driven reasons for each of these appointments.
It is important to note that acting judges are only paid for days they work and these appointments are not announcements of new hires, but of the fact that these judges have agreed to be available to help meet the needs of justice in Cayman. If you put aside concerns that Cayman must be deteriorating to need so many judges, the fact that we have secured new talent to help us decide our disputes, is always a good thing.
The phrase lily white comes to mind…
The phrase “you see racism everywhere” comes to mind.
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain some of the nuances of the appointments.
Part time Judges are routinely holding hearings in London. We need full time Cayman resident Judges.
We have locally qualified people to fill these posts but I guess Mother country judges are the preference. I am so disgusted by the constant isms in this place.
Yes, I too am disgusted by nativism.
…says Mrs. Rank Elitism.
Only the mediocre decry “elitism”.
Yes ma’am,massa. So who is the falsely entitled on ya say?
Not just holding hearings in London, conducting the hearings with counsel also in London. In Cayman we just watch.
Heaven forbid that the upshot is that the hearings are cheaper for your clients. Remember your clients, They don’t seem to be high on your priorities.
“No DUI’s please” ~ thinketh everybody reading this