From Jamaica The Gleaner

President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Seymour Panton, has expressed disappointment that Supreme Court judge Justice Ingrid Mangatal is leaving Jamaica to take up an appointment as a Grand Court judge in the Cayman Islands.

While Mangatal has described the move as a wonderful opportunity, Panton argued that it is unfortunate that such a bright judicial mind is leaving Jamaica.

According to Panton, he thinks that Mangatal’s resignation is due to the poor manner in which judges have been treated in Jamaica.

He said he understood her move and had no doubt that she will do very well in the Cayman Islands.

He said he had recommended her for permanent appointment to the Court of Appeal Bench and was disappointed that she was not sworn in to that position.

Numerous complaints

Justice Panton was referring to the numerous complaints over the years from the judges that they were not adequately compensated for the volume of work that they do.

Late last week, Cayman’s governor Helen Kilpatrick announced the appointment of Mangatal and said she was confident that Mangatal’s knowledge, skill and experience in both criminal and civil law would prove to be invaluable for the Cayman Islands and the people as a whole.

Mangatal is a graduate of the Norman Manley Law School, who was called to the Bar in 1987.

In 2000 she was appointed a resident magistrate. She also served as senior assistant attorney general, and director of litigation in the Attorney General’s Department.

Mangatal served on the Supreme Court Bench in Jamaica from 2003 to 2014. She was appointed on several occasions to act in the Court of Appeal and was acting from January to September this year when she went on leave.

She takes up her appointment in the Cayman Islands in January 2015.

IMAGE: Supreme Court judge Justice Ingrid Mangatal Barbara Gayle, Justice Coordinator

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