Acting judge and lawyer appointed to bench
(CNS): Justice Marlene Carter, who has been acting as a Grand Court judge since 2017, has been officially appointed to the Cayman Islands bench alongside attorney Jalil Asif KC, managing partner at Kobre & Kim (Cayman). The judges were selected after an open recruitment process and recommended as the successful candidates to Governor Jane Owen, according to officials.
Justice Carter, who is a Caymanian, already has more than a decade of judicial experience in various jurisdictions. She has served as an acting judge here for six years, presiding regularly in the criminal, civil and family courts. Carter was also a puisne judge in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC).
Before that, she was the deputy director of Cayman’s Tax Information Authority (now the Department for International Tax Cooperation) in the financial services ministry, after working as an attorney in Cayman in both public and private practice.
Asif, a British barrister, has not served on Cayman’s bench but did serve as a recorder of the Crown Court and County Court in the UK for ten years before moving to Cayman.
Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale said she was pleased to welcome them to the full-time bench as they each bring a substantial fund of experience.
“Over the years, the domestic and international business of the Court has increased in complexity, volume and urgency. The work in the criminal, family and financial services divisions often involves high value, complex cross-border cases of significant importance and interest to the people of the Cayman Islands and internationally,” the chief justice said. “Mr Asif’s appointment is to a newly established judicial position which will add much-needed capacity to the Court, allowing us to better discharge our commitment to delivering justice fairly and efficiently.”
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Category: Courts, Local News
Do you know? Do you know how many Caymanians have applied and were not even considered?
No
To all those ranting about why Caymanians haven’t been appointed, to be considered for the position a candidate has first to apply for it.
Do you know how many Caymanians applied for these positions? No? Then shut up and write on subjects you know something about, like small-mindedness or rats fighting in sacks.
Perhaps Mr. Justice Asif could give us his thoughts on rumors as to the unqualified practice of Cayman law by some firms?
Or Locally based firms employing foreign lawyers on work permits with no Practicing Certificates.
Or locally based law firms refusing to employ and/or promote qualified Caymanians.
The practice of law is 100% based on the production of revenue. No one who can do it is turned away. Out of a population of 30,000 you can’t really expect more than a dozen to be any good at it. Probably fewer.
As if this happens…
When will generational Caymanians be appointed to the Grand Court? There seems to be a recognizable pattern emerging.
Steve McField didn’t apply 9:56. Sad, I know.
Nor did Alden.
When they’re qualified and want the job
Bullshit. Caymanians do not stand a chance – in the Public OR Private sectors. And it is not for lack of intelligence, integrity, or dedication.
Go on then. List all the generational Caymanian lawyers available for a bench appointment. And then confirm which of them even applied. Crickets.
Do you not see that foreign nationals are being recruited from overseas and prepared and groomed for these positions? If only similar effort was expended on local people.
Its a bit like the recognizable pattern of the complete lack of appointment of generational Caymanian neurosurgeons.
It’s as if they think we are stupid. First unanswered question—how long are the contracts? Second question—what’s the new guy’s attitude about criminal sentencing? Only asking because he has no track record.
Well done for appointing the most appealed Criminal judge…. When will this country start taking criminal cases seriously?
I’ve appeared in front of her once. A simple case. She got it wrong.
That is one of great qualifications.
Based on YOUR opinion!
She is Caymanian. they are trying to get some locals on the bench.
Ummm, where is from?
From Trinidad, via St. Kitts, Barbados, Turks and Caicos and the Jamaican consulate, according to the internet.
Theresa Pitcairn?
Sherry Ann Bodden?
Sophia Harris?
Sabrina Foster?
Sara Collins?
Those are locals. All strong women. All Caymanian. All understand our community and our community standards. And all trained and experienced in Cayman Law.
None of them had a litigation practice and therefore none of them would be remotely qualified to sit as a judge.
That is incorrect.
Thats not true. How many judges do you know of that have practiced all areas of law, none. Do your research before making comments.
It would be a cut in pay.
ALL not qualified and lacking substance to do the job. Being female is not a qualification. You have listed some real muppets in that list which then harms all their chances for all of them.
That is a load of crap and obviously you do not know anything about them.
Why don’t you use your real name so those women “lacking substance” can have a talk with you about their experiences, oh wait, that would be a waste of their time and insult of their intelligence.
Stop trolling intelligent Caymanian women, hater.
Serious question: does any of them WANT to be a judge?! It’s a low-paid job with a disproportionately heavy workload, which is why it tends to attract second-raters.
Is that so? So which “Caymanian as of right” has been appointed to the Grand Court or the Court of Appeal? Answer is none ever have. Not even once.
And that fact is disgusting. And it is part of the clearest possible evidence of what is happening. The British at least used to train locals to step into positions. Some of those from the region seemingly have no such interest, or intention.