Victoria Charles-Clarke is the newest Justice of Appeal in the Supreme Court, while Bryan Lawson Weekes has been appointed to the office of Judge in the High Court.
The two Justices were sworn in by Acting President, His Excellency The Very Reverend Dr. Jeffrey Gibson, at State House, yesterday.
Madame Justice Charles-Clarke, a CARICOM National, is an attorney-at-law with over 30 years’ experience in the judicial and legal services as Registrar of the High Court, Magistrate and Director of Public Prosecutions of Saint Lucia, and as a Former High Court Judge in Dominica.
In her remarks, Madame Justice Charles-Clarke said she considers her new appointment as an honour and a privilege and described it as the “highlight of her career thus far”.
She stated: “I look forward to discharging my duties with a high level of integrity, commitment, and industry and to bring to bear all the experience I’ve gathered over the years to this position, and I am privileged that I am appointed here in Barbados, a place [for] which I have very strong, sentimental feelings.”
Justice Weekes, the newly appointed High Court Judge, was admitted to the Bar in 1995. He specialises in family, civil, and commercial litigation and stated that he hopes to leverage his experience in these areas to help the Chief Justice “whittle away” the significant backlog that currently exists.
“The thing is, it is going to take a lot of work, a lot of long hours, and a robust approach to the civil litigation especially, which I intend to pursue…. I intend to pursue that goal, whether through ordering mediation, which I would have the jurisdiction to do, or to take very robust case management approaches,” he said.
Chief Justice Leslie Haynes, who was present for the swearing-in, conveyed his satisfaction with today’s appointments.
Concerning the appointment of Madame Justice Charles-Clarke, he said there will now be six judges in the Court of Appeal (including himself as the Chief Justice), which will allow the Supreme Court to have two panels of three to alleviate the work and add to the efficiency of the Court of Appeal in hearing and determining matters.
Referring to the appointment of Justice Weekes, the Chief Justice pointed out that his experience in family, civil, and commercial law will provide much assistance to the heavily backlogged High Court. “I welcome them, and I have no doubt that bearing their reputations in mind… they will do an excellent job,” he added. (PR/GIS)
Caption: From left to right – New Justice of Appeal in the Supreme Court, Victoria Charles-Clarke; Chief Justice Leslie Haynes; Acting President, The Very Reverend Dr. Jeffrey Gibson; and new Judge in the High Court, Bryan Lawson Weekes, pose for a photograph at State House this morning.
