(CMR) His Excellency the Acting Governor, Franz Manderson, has announced the appointments of Justice Marlene Carter and Jalil Asif KC as Judges of the Cayman Islands Grand Court.
The Judicial and Legal Services Commission (JLSC) recently carried out an open recruitment process, advertising the post both locally and overseas. Following a short-listing and interview process, Justice Carter and Mr. Asif were recommended as successful candidates to Her Excellency the Governor, Jane Owen, who subsequently approved the recommendations.
In commenting on the appointments, Acting Governor Manderson said, “I am pleased to support the appointment of Justice Carter and Mr. Asif to the bench of the Cayman Islands Grand Court. Having a strong Judiciary which administers the law independently of the Executive and the Legislature arms of Government is critical to the upholding of the Constitution, law and order and the effective functioning of our society. I wish the new Justices every success as they carry out their responsibilities.”
The Chief Justice, Honourable Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale, commented, “Over the years, the domestic and international business of the Court has increased in complexity, volume and urgency. The work in the criminal, family, and financial services divisions often involves high-value, complex, cross-border cases of significant importance and interest to the people of the Cayman Islands and internationally. We are pleased to add both Justice Carter and Mr. Asif KC to the full-time bench of the Court.”
“They each bring a substantial fund of experience to the bench. I would note that Mr. Asif’s appointment is to a newly established judicial position which will add much-needed capacity to the Court, allowing us to better discharge our commitment to delivering justice fairly and efficiently,” Chief Justice Ramsay-Hale said.
Justice Carter is a Caymanian with ten years of judicial experience in various jurisdictions. Justice Carter has served as an Acting Judge of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands since 2017, presiding regularly across the criminal, civil, and family divisions of the Grand Court. Prior to this, she was a Puisne Judge in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC), assigned to St Kitts and Nevis as the Resident High Court Judge.
Mr. Asif is a British national who has served as a Recorder of the Crown Court and County Court in the Midland Circuit in England and Wales from 2005-2015. During his tenure as a Recorder, he heard criminal cases in the Crown Court, appeals from magistrates, and presided over various types of civil cases. Since 2014, Mr. Asif has been employed at Kobre & Kim (Cayman), where he is currently Managing Partner. Mr. Asif transferred to his current role in the Cayman Islands from Kobre & Kim UK LLP. Prior to that, he was a Barrister for 22 years.
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