Tag: Chief Justice Anthony Smellie
Court appoints dedicated legal aid boss
(CNS): Decisions about who will receive legal aid for their court cases will now be decided by a new director. Formerly a senior associate with a local law firm and a legal aid attorney since 2004, Stacy Parke began her new job at Judicial Administration Monday. With a budget in excess of $2.6 million per […]
Cayman government to introduce no fault divorce
(CNS): The attorney general has revealed that government is planning to amend the marriage law over the coming year with a view to creating a single ground for divorce. Samuel Bulgin said that changes to the Matrimonial Causes Law will introduce the concept of the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage, abolishing fault-based grounds. Announcing the […]
Court caseload ‘almost logistically impossible’
(CNS): The chief justice has warned that the court workload is now so great that without a new building it is verging on a “logistic impossibility” to manage the cases properly. Every year at the Grand Court’s ceremonial opening for almost a decade Chief Justice Anthony Smellie has raised the problem that the courthouse, which […]
Court takes steps to mediate in family disputes
(CNS): In an effort to introduce mediation services for some family cases in the local legal system, a number of local judges, magistrates, attorneys and senior court staff have been involved in accredited mediation training by the London School of Mediation (LSM). Fifteen people are expected to sit the necessary examination for the official qualification […]
Legal aid important to speedier justice
(CNS): Chief Justice Anthony Smellie has said he welcomed the revision of the legal aid law and is hoping that the extension of the list of crimes covered by the public funding will speed up the clearance of the clogged court dockets. Speaking at the opening of the Grand Court this week, he said Summary […]
Cayman failing young offenders
(CNS): The chief justice has raised his concerns over the continued failure to address the issue of young offenders. Among the topics he raised in his presentation to the legal fraternity at the ceremonial court opening on Wednesday, CJ Anthony Smellie urged government to address the situation. “Exposing them to the adult prison environment continues […]
Trinidad president on private trip to Cayman
(CNS): Anthony Carmona, the President of Trinidad and Tobago, was in the Cayman Islands for a “private visit” last week, according to officials. The president, who is also a former supreme court and international criminal court judge, met with Cayman Islands Chief Justice Anthony Smellie during his stay as well as paying courtesy calls to […]
Judges can police themselves, says CJ
(CNS): Cayman’s top judge has warned that too much external regulation and discipline of judges will undermine the importance of judicial independence, as he urged a gathering of legal heavyweights to be cautious of ascribing disciplinary powers to judicial service commissions. Chief Justice Anthony Smellie raised concerns that the trend towards accountability for all public […]
Formal guidelines issued on jail time
(CNS): The chief justice has published a new set of formal sentencing guidelines to help Cayman Islands judges balance all of the factors involved in sentencing those convicted of serious and common crimes. Based on the work of the Criminal Justice Reform Committee, chaired by Justice Charles Quin, the guidelines do not dictate to judges how […]
CJ highlights list of problems with immigration appeals
(CNS): The chief justice has ordered the Immigration Appeals Tribunal (IAT) to rehear two cases after describing a catalogue of problems in the points given to two women whose applications for permanent residency were refused. In a judgment likely to impact many more future cases, Anthony Smellie pointed to a substantial wrong and a miscarriage […]
‘Chronic situation’ for young offenders
(CNS): A Grand Court judge described the lack of suitable accommodation for young people in the criminal justice system as a “sad and chronic situation” when he was forced to remand another teenager in custody to HMP Northward because there was nowhere else for him to go.
