Andrew Burgess of Barbados, is the newest judge to be appointed to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
According to a CCJ press release, Justice Burgess was sworn in by Dame Sandra Mason, Governor-General of Barbados in a ceremony at Government House in Barbados on Friday. The President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Justice Adrian Saunders, also gave remarks welcoming the newest CCJ Judge to the bench.
Justice Saunders speaking of Justice Burgess’ appointment, noted that it was from “…a rigorous, competitive, merit-based process that Justice Andrew Burgess emerged as a successful candidate and his appointment is richly deserved. Since he has been, over the last eight years, a judge of the Barbados Court of Appeal. Throughout those 8 years I have had occasion to study his judgments. “I have always been impressed by Andrew’s breadth of knowledge, by the high quality of his writing skills and by his attention to detail. He will be a most welcome addition to the CCJ Bench as he brings with him a tremendous amount of experience both as an eminent member of the academic community and as an appellate judge.”
Justice Burgess was selected from a field of 18 applicants by the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC), an independent ten-member Commission, comprised of a group of distinguished persons from all over the region, the CCJ added.
In his remarks to the gathering, Justice Burgess stated that “I am aware that the CCJ is perhaps the most important post-independence regional initiative. In my view, the CCJ has so far established itself as an exemplary Caribbean institution. I am also aware that to protect and build upon this is not for the faint-hearted”. Adding that he will also rely upon the support of this family and extended network to ensure that he undertakes the demands with diligence.
Justice Burgess became a Court of Appeal Judge in 2010 in Barbados. He previously held prestigious positions at the University of the West Indies, the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank.
The CCJ stated that the new Justice’s appointment will fill the vacancy left by the elevation of CCJ’s President to that post in July 2018. The RJLSC will also shortly announce the appointment of another Judge selected during the same process, to succeed Justice David Hayton, who will be retiring in July 2019.
