Court
‘New chief, old speech’ as CJ pleads for new courthouse
(CNS): Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale made an impassioned public plea to politicians attending the formal opening of the Grand Court on Wednesday, as she noted that, despite a number of capital projects planned in this budget cycle, there was no money for a new court building. Making the most of the opportunity to speak directly […]
Death of woman crushed under car ruled misadventure
(CNS): A coroner’s inquest found that Jasmine Janise James (31) died in “tragic and unfortunate” circumstances when her friend accidentally ran over her after she stumbled and fell in front of her car. James was killed on the evening of 4 October 2020 in the carpark at the Ocean Pointe condo complex where she lived […]
PC judge stresses global importance of Cayman’s courts
(CNS): At the opening of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council on Tuesday, its president, Lord Reed of Allermuir, said that some of the most important cases for the development of the common law around the world, in countries like Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore as well as the UK, are […]
OAG’s report on court ‘deficient’, says CJ
(CNS): The country’s top judge has hit back at the Office of the Auditor General following criticisms made in a review report of judicial administration published last week. Chief Justice Anthony Smellie, who retires this month after decades on the bench and managing the local court system, has said the original OAG report published in […]
Alden made QC after decade’s absence from court
(CNS): Former premier Alden McLaughlin has some new letters to add to his name as he has been made Queen’s Counsel, along with four other Caymanian lawyers. McLaughlin is said to be returning to the bar after well over a decade’s absence from the courtroom. With his return to the legal stage as a ‘silk’, […]
Dart bound by Britannia homeowners’ rights
(CNS): Around two hundred owners of residential properties in what was once known as the Britannia Resort, off the West Bay Road and adjacent to Camana Bay, have won access rights following a major court decision published this week. Following a long running legal battle between homeowners and several Dart companies that wanted to shake […]
Court mistakes led to access failure in JR case
(CNS): Following an independent review into why documents in a significant public interest case remained under wraps, Chief Justice Anthony Smellie has said that Justice Richard Williams had no part in preventing the publication of the papers. The documents, which related to the judicial review application by Kattina Anglin into the use of the governor’s […]
Financial court gets new full time judge
(CNS): A new full-time judge has been appointed to the financial services division of the Grand Court. David Doyle (60) will be coming to Cayman this summer after many years working in the legal profession in the UK’s crown dependencies. His most recent job was as an advocate in the Isle of Man but he […]
Courts deny that judge withheld JR documents
(CNS): The Cayman Islands courts have denied that an application for judicial review and a subsequent ruling were blocked from the public by the judge currently presiding in the case. In what appears to be a miscommunication among court staff, CNS and another media house were repeatedly denied access to the judicial application filed by […]
Separate court job created for financial services
(CNS): Bridget Myers has been appointed as Acting Registrar of the Financial Services Division (FSD) at the Grand court. The new post has been created to enhance the independence of this arm of the court and develop its own specialist staff. Court Administrator Suzanne Bothwell said the move was in keeping with the chief justice’s […]
Finance laws still dominate drafting agenda
(CNS): Attorney General Samuel Bulgin has said Cayman is suffering from “review fatigue” over the scrutiny the jurisdiction faces relating to its vulnerability to financial crime in the offshore sector and related industries. Despite the ongoing engagement with international initiatives relating to taxes, anti-money laundering and combating terrorist financing, the constantly changing rules require more […]
