Following a ceremonial inspection of an honour guard by an RCIPS contingent, the Chief Justice, Hon. Anthony Smellie, QC, accepted a motion today to formally open the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands.

In attendance at the ceremony were His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Martyn Roper, Premier and former practising attorney, Hon. Wayne Panton, Deputy Premier Hon. Chris Saunders, Ministers Hon. Sabrina Turner, Hon. Johany Jay Ebanks and Hon. Andre Ebanks, as well as Parliamentary Secretary Ms Heather Bodden.

Today’s ceremony differed from previous years because of the use of actual and virtual presentations, all of which were live-streamed for the first time in deference to COVID-19 protocols. 

It was also mentioned that this might be the last formal opening for the Chief Justice who, after taking office in 1998, is currently the longest serving Chief Justice in the Cayman Islands and is scheduled to retire in the last quarter of 2022.

The Chief Justice accepted the motion made by the CI Attorney General, Hon. Samuel Bulgin. Seconding the motion were Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms Candia James-Malcolm, CI Legal Practitioners Association President, Mr. Erik Bodden and Member of the CI Law Reports Committee, Mr. Colin McKie.

Chief Magistrate Hon. Valdis Foldats, Judicial Administrator and Chief Officer, Ms Suzanne Bothwell, Deputy Chief Officer, Ms Natasha Scotland, Chief Financial Officer Ms Tiffany Ebanks, Legal Aid Director Ms Stacy Parke, Clerk of Court Ms Shiona Allenger and Deputy Clerk of Court Ms Cecille Collins presented the virtual reports. 

Eventually, all of the presentations will be posted on to the www.judicial.ky website. Meantime, they can be viewed, along with all of the broadcast on the CIGTV channel on YouTube at http://bit.ly/2CqD1b5.