ELEVEN judges were Monday sworn in to serve in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

The judges sworn in were: Justice Marva McDonald Bishop, Justice Paulette Williams and Justice Frank Williams, who have been appointed as judges of the Court of Appeal and Audre Lindo, Cresencia Brown-Beckford, Marcia Dunbar Green, Georgiana Fraser, who have been appointed to serve as puisne judges.

Sonia Bertram Linton and Dale Palmer were also sworn in to act as puisne judges, while Carolyn Tie and Yvonne Brown were sworn in as masters in chambers.

Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, before handing over the ceremonial Instruments of Appointment to the judges during the swearing ceremony at King House, commended the new appointees, while reminding them of the huge responsibilities that come with their new roles.

“As no power is absolute, there are checks and balances in the observations of your peers and the provisions for appeals,” Sir Patrick said.

The governor general also told the judges to be mindful of the maxim that “justice delayed is justice denied”.

Chief Justice Zaila McCalla, in her charge to the judges, said all judges must realise that the country is in a critical point as it relates to the administration of justice and should not tolerate any waste of time, given the vast number of cases before the courts.

“We must be mindful to avoid waste of judicial time and be sensitive to the fact that when litigants approached our courts to have their matters heard, their expectations are that their case must be resolved within a reasonable time,” she said.

“We must use technology to improve delivery of service to our citizens ;we must improve our customer service and we must also do all these things under severe fiscal constraints and in some cases adverse court conditions,” said Justice McCalla.

She also pointed out that the initiatives that are being undertaken to modernise and improve efficiency in the courts must be pursued vigourously by all stakeholders, including judges, who she said must be proactive and lead the process.

‘We have to equip ourselves to perform our duties by making use of all judiciary educational and training session available to us,” Justice McCalla added.

Acting president of the Court of Appeal Justice Dennis Morrison, in congratulating and welcoming the judges on their appointment, expressed confidence that they will continue to excel in their new roles.

“I share your joy and personal satisfaction in this special moment; it signifies a validation of all your efforts and sacrifices as lawyers called to the public service over theses many years. It also marks the beginning of what will be an even more taxing and testing time in your professional life and is likely to demand more of your time than you’re already accustom to giving,” he said.

Justice McDonald Bishop, in her remarks on behalf of the newly appointed judges, said that the appointment was a very proud and joyous occasion for each of them and pledged to continue to serve the citizens of Jamaica with the highest standard.