Court of Appeal President the Hon. Justice Dame Anita Allen has given 23 plus years of service to the judicial system and during the opening of the Court of Appeal’s legal year yesterday she says she is more than happy with what she has been able to accomplish since she was appointed back in 2010.
She made note of said accomplishment while thanking the Honorable Allyson Maynard-Gibson, Q.C for believing in her vision.
“I thank her for believing in my vision for the court, and for readily supporting every initiative pursued and realized in the last four years, including: the replacement of our leaking roof; the transformation of our premises to these beautiful, imperious, and comfortable surroundings,” she said.
“The provision of three full-time judicial research counsel; extra registry staff for our data entry needs; the online streaming of special sittings; the 4th working visit of the privy council this year; the simultaneous, and historic sitting of the court of appeal and the privy council in these premises in February, among others.”
Dame Allen also noted the COA’s annual report, the results of which she is extremely proud.
“Of the 1756 matters filed between those dates, the full court has disposed of 1227 substantive appeals, 396 applications of various kinds,” she said.
“Including 26 applications for final leave to appeal to the privy council. We have written 250 reasoned judgments; and have given 1373 extempore decisions.”
She went on to publicly thank the judges for their tireless commitment to hard work, their stellar service to the court; and their collegiality, encouragement, and support.
Also, bringing opening remarks were Senator Allyson Maynard-Gibson, Inner Bar Representative Damien Gomez, Bahamas Bar Association (BBA) President Elsworth Johnson and member of the utter bar Krystal Johnson.
Mrs. Johnson said during her remarks that in some cases within the judicial system it’s the practitioners who are in part to blame for the number of inefficiency issues over the last few years in the country’s courts.
She and her fellow colleagues agreed moving forward that should everyone do their part no matter how trivial, this would eliminate a great deal of current complaints.
