Justice Morrison sworn in as acting Court of Appeal president
JUSTICE Dennis Morrison yesterday reiterated a call for an increase in the number of judges at the Court of Appeal and the expansion of the court building.
Morrison, who made the call during his swearing-in as acting president of the Court of Appeal, noted that with the ever-increasing workload there is an urgent need to address the situation.
“I simply must, out of a sense of duty to my colleagues and to the court, reiterate the urgent amelioration in the condition in which the court is expected to function, particularly with regard to the related matters of the number of judges and physical space,” Justice Morrison said during the King’s House ceremony attended by Justice Minister Senator Mark Golding.
“As my predecessor has done assiduously over the last few years, I pledge my own best effort to bring these matters to attention in all possible ways,” Justice Morrison added.
There are currently seven judges serving the Court of Appeal, although there have been talks in the past to increase that number to 12.
Justice Morrison has been a court of appeal judge since leaving private practice seven years ago in 2008. His acting appointment comes after Justice Seymour Panton, who went on pre-retirement leave on July 1. Justice Panton, who has been president of the Court of Appeal for half of the 16 years he’s been a judge at the appellate court, is expected to retire in January 2016.
Morrison entered the legal profession in 1975. He headed the Litigation Department of the law firm DunnCox, and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1994.
He currently sits on the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal and served on the Belize Court of Appeal from 2004 to March 2015.
He is an associate tutor of the Norman Manley Law School and was also chairman of the Council of Legal Education from 1998-2005.
He serves also as a member of the Rhodes Scholarships selection panel.
Yesterday, Justice Morrison was sworn in by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, who said that his contribution to the legal profession is well known, and that his appointment is an expression of confidence in his abilities.
Chief Justice Zaila McCalla congratulated Justice Morrison on his appointment to the post of acting president. “He is evidently a most suitable candidate to act as president of the court,” she said.
