Six acting judges added to Grand Court bench
(CNS): Following an open recruitment process by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission at the beginning of this year, six acting judges have now been appointed to the panel of available justices for general Grand Court cases. Justice Marlene Carter, Roger Chapple, Justice Carlisle Greaves, Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn, Justice Stephen Hellman and Justice Frank Williams will now be available to preside over the court when needed.
Following a short-listing process, a panel interviewed eight candidates and recommend the six legal experts. Governor Helen Kilpatrick accepted the recommendations and they will all be sworn in as they are required to hear cases. While the problem of space continues to present problems for the ever-increasing case loads in the various divisions of the local court system, the additions to the bench will help solve the judge shortage, which has seen case delayed over in recent months.
The new judges have served in Cayman and overseas and bring a variety of experience to the local court.
Justice Marlene Carter formerly worked in the office of the director of public prosecutions in Trinidad and Tobago and has been at both the public bar and the private bar in the Cayman Islands. She was appointed as a Puisne judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in January 2014.
After 20 years in practice in London, Roger Chapple was appointed Assistant Judge Advocate General of Her Majesty’s Forces. In 2004 he was appointed a Circuit Judge and a Senior Circuit Judge in 2007.
Justice Carlisle Greaves currently serves as a Puisne Judge on a part-time basis in the Bermuda Judiciary. Before retiring in 2016 he was Puisne Judge there for over ten years.
Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn practiced in the UK for 7 years before she served from 2006-2010 as crown counsel in the Cayman Legal Department and then two years in Bermuda. She became a local Magistrate in 2012.
Justice Stephen Hellman currently serves as a Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of Bermuda. Previously, he practised in London for 10 years, specializing in money laundering and the proceeds of crime. He has also practised law in Cayman.
Justice Frank Williams was a Puisne Judge in Jamaica for eight years before he began serving as a Judge of Appeal there last year.
Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn
Justice Stephen Hellman
Justice Marlene Carter
Justice Frank Williams
Justice Carlisle Greaves
Roger Chapple
How long will this country stand to have actors as judges? Were there no attorneys that could have filled in?
Surely one of the 2000 unemployed Caymanians could have done this job! How hard can it be.
The Caymanians do not have much experience at straining gnats and swallowing camels.
I guess we’ll have to make do with these, then? If you can print that racist garbage, then you can print this. Paper maketh not Caymanian, but spirit.
Yeah Harard, I mean how many qualifications do you need to put a wig on, understand facts and untruths, and send people to prison for crime? Doesn’t sound hard, does it?
Have not, or have now?
Justice Carter is a force to be reckoned with, I have so much respect for her!
This is great news!
Congratulations Justice Gunn and Justice Carter! Very happy for you both. Well deserved. Glad to see ladies of your caliber joining the bench. Also Congratulations to the gentleman as well! Welcome!
Please ensure swift justice, stop the delaying defence tactics and just get the matters dealt with.
You are Judges so act like judges.
“delaying defence tatics”? Maybe mention ensuring the RCIPS and DPP get their act together too? The defence wouldn’t have anything like as many “delaying tactics” if those responsible for building the case did so competently.
The courts are beyond slow. Total lack of docket control.