The Office of the Attorney General announced today that under Article 99 of the Constitution Sir George Newman has been appointed a non-resident Justice of the Court of Appeal and Mr. Justice Stanley John has been appointed a resident Justice of Appeal. The appointment of Sir George Newman takes effect today, 15th June, 2009 and the appointment of Mr. Justice John takes effect on the 1st July, 2009.
Sir George Newman was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of England and Wales in May 1995 and retired from that Court on 1st October 2007 after serving over 12 years. Prior to becoming a Judge of the High Court, Sir George practised as a barrister. He was called to the bar in 1965 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1981. Sir George’s practice as a barrister included many appearances before the Privy Council in a wide variety of cases.
Sir George was one of the judges nominated to sit in the Administrative Court and in the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC). Sir George is presently the Treasurer of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. In February 2009, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom appointed him Chair of the Security Vetting Appeals Panel of the United Kingdom.
Mr. Justice John is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago and served as a justice of the Court of Appeal of Trinidad and Tobago from July, 2002 until June, 2009. Mr. Justice John was called to the Bar of England and Wales as a member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn in July, 1972. He served in private practice in Trinidad from 1972 to 1994.
In 1994, Mr. Justice John was appointed a Puisne Judge of the High Court of Justice of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Laws of The Bahamas make provisions for the appointment of twelve (12) Justices to the Bench of the Supreme Court, inclusive of the Chief Justice, and for five (5) Justices of the Court of Appeal, inclusive of the President. The Chief Justice, as head of the Judiciary, is ex officio, a member of the Court of Appeal.