Boosting efficiency in justice: Five Court of Appeal judges sworn in

Five judges were today appointed to the Court of Appeal and will begin work on tackling the backlog of cases. Justice Jo-Ann Barlow, Justice Navindra Singh, Justice Nareshwar Harnanan, Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, and Mrs Joycelin Kyte-Thomas received their credentials from President, Dr Irfaan Ali, during a swearing-in ceremony at the Office of the President.
Due to pressing official commitments, Justice Damone Younge and Mr Rafiq Khan, SC, are expected to be sworn in at a later date.
The Head of State told a gathering of judicial officials, invited guests and appointees that the swearing-in represented a vital step toward strengthening the institutional framework of the administration of justice and to ensure the continued fortification of the country’s judicial architecture.
“Their elevation comes at a time when the demand for efficient and expeditious appellate review is greater than ever,” he noted, pointing out that, “the efficacy of any legal system is closely tied to the timeliness in which it dispenses justice.”
He continued: “In this regard the expansion of the complement of the appellate judges is both timely and necessary. It will facilitate more efficient management of the appellate case load and allow for its speedier resolution of matters thereby enhancing public confidence in the judicial process.”
The President also noted that ascension to the bench at the Court of Appeal represents a recognition of one’s competence, character and the fidelity with which they have served the law, making it one of the highest honours that could be conferred on a member of the legal profession.
“However, with such distinction comes a heightened responsibility, one that demands the utmost diligence, impartiality and fidelity to the Constitution and laws of the Republic.” The president urged that as justices of the Appeal Court they will be called upon as arbitrators in many matters of legal importance.
As such, the president noted, their pronouncements will shape jurisprudence, guide future adjudication and influence the manner in which justice is experienced and upheld in the republic. They are thus expected to exemplify the highest standards of judicial decorum and ethical behaviour.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall had said that the state is seeking to appoint as many as 11 judges to the Court of Appeal to fill vacancies and handle the backlog of cases. The court initially required five judges, but will eventually see 11 sitting members following recent amendments to the Court of Appeal Act.
Previously, the Court of Appeal only sat at its Kingston location where the required three judges legally presided over matters.
The state is now seeking to facilitate three quorums which could be held simultaneously across the three counties.