Chief Justice of Grenada

The Chief Justice of Grenada is the head of the Supreme Court of Grenada which consists of the High Court with three justices and a two-tier Court of Appeal.[1]

The original High Court of Grenada was replaced by the Windward and Leeward Islands Supreme Court and the Windward and Leeward Islands Court of Appeal in 1939; both of the latter were replaced in 1967 by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court which performs both functions.[2] The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, known in Grenada as the Supreme Court of Grenada and the West Indies Associated States, is headquartered in St Lucia, and is now the superior court of record for Grenada and the other Caribbean states which comprise the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.

Chief Justices

• 1763 Grenada became British colony
• c.1770 James Brebner
• 1783–1787 William Lucas[3]
• 1788–1804 Thomas Bridgewater[4][5]
• 1805–1808 George Smith (afterwards Chief Judge of Trinidad, 1808)[6]
• 1809–1812 Archibald Gloster (afterwards Chief Justice of Dominica, 1812)[6]
• 1814–1820 Sir Richard Ottley (afterwards a judge in Ceylon, 1820 and later Chief Justice of Ceylon, 1827)[7]
• 1820–1833 Jeffery Hart Bent (afterwards Chief Justice of St Lucia, 1833)
• c.1838-c.1847 John Sanderson
• 1847–1863 William Darnell Davis[8]
• 1863–1895 John Foster Gresham [9]
  • 1881–1882 Henry Rawlins Pipon Schooles (acting)
• 1895–1897 Joseph Turner Hutchinson [10] (afterwards Chief Justice of Cyprus, 1898)
• 1897–1905 Sir Charles James Tarring [10]
• 1906–1909 John Bayldon Walker[11]
• 1909–1914 Robert Stewart Johnstone
• 1914–1916 F Hardyman Parker[12]
• 1916–1921 Thomas Haycraft[13] (afterwards Chief Justice of Palestine, 1921)
• 1921–1925 George O'Donnell Walton [14]
• 1927–?1931 James Stanley Rae (afterwards Chief Justice of the Leeward Islands, c.1931)
• 1931–1935 Robert Stephen Vere de Vere
• 1935–1938 Charles Murray Murray-Aynsley (afterwards Chief Justice of Singapore, 1946)
• 1939 Windward and Leeward Islands Supreme Court and Court of Appeal established. See Chief Justice of the Leeward Islands
• 1967 Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court established
• 1974 Grenada became independent
• 1979–1985 Robert Archibald Nedd[15][16]
  • 1986 Dennis Byron (acting)
  • 1987 James Patterson (Acting)[17]
• 1987–1990 Sir Samuel Horatio Graham
• 1990–1991 Carol Bristol[18][19]
• 1991 OECS Court restored.

References

1. "Grenada Government Profile 2014". Index Mundi from CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
2. "THE ORIGIN OF THE SUPREME COURT IN GRENADA". Barnacle Granada- Granada Newspaper. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
3. "No. 12485". The London Gazette. 18 October 1783. p. 5.
4. Edward, Edward (16 October 1788). Reports the situation of Mr. Thomas Bridgewater, Chief Justice of Courts in Grenada, regarding his salary (Report). Grenada. CO 101/28/69 – via UK National Archives.
5. Stewart, John Watson (1804). The English Registry. Dublin. p. 143.
6. Parliamentary Papers. H.M. Stationery Office. 1832. p. 122.
7. Oliver, Vere Langford (1896). The History of the Island of Antigua: One of the Leeward Caribbees in the West Indies, from the First Settlement in 1635 to the Present Time. Mitchell and Hughes. p. 377.
8. Frederic Boase (1912). Modern English Biography. 1–3 (Supplement ed.). Netherton and Worth. p. 41.
9. Alumni Cantabrigienses: A Biographical List of All Known Students ..., Volume 2
10. "No. 26917". The London Gazette. 7 December 1897. p. 7348.
11. "No. 27886". The London Gazette. 16 February 1906. p. 1135.
12. The Grenada handbook, directory and almanac. Government of Grenada. 1927. p. 76.
13. Sir Gilbert Falkingham Clayton (1969). An Arabian Diary. University of California Press. p. 325.
14. "No. 32209". The London Gazette. 28 January 1921. p. 779.
15. Staff writer (28 September 1985). "Nedd Announces Disqualification and Retirement". The Grenada Newsletter. Vol. 13 no. 12. pp. 1–2 – via University of Florida Digital Collections. Seven days later, on September 23rd, Sir Archibald, 69, said in an interview that he would leave the bench on 31st December next.
16. Staff writer (23 November 1985). "Chief Justice Retires". The Grenada Newsletter. Vol. 13 no. 16. pp. 1–3 – via University of Florida Digital Collections. The Barrister's Benches in the Grenada High Court were crowded on November 20th as the Grenada Bar said farewell to Chief Justice Sir Archibald Nedd who went on leave that day prior to his resignation from the Bench which takes effect at the end of the year.
17. Staff writer (11 July 1987). "Ramsay Guilty of Contempt". The Grenada Newsletter. Vol. 15 no. 10. p. 1 – via University of Florida Digital Collections. The second arises from Mr Ramsay's charge that his constitutional rights have been violated by Acting Chief Justice James Patterson.
18. Staff writer (1990). Caribbean Insight. 13–14. Goodyear Gibbs (Caribbean). p. 20. A St. Lucia-born barrister, Carol Bristol, has been appointed Chief Justice, replacing Sir Samuel Graham, who resigned at the end of March.
19. Staff writer (14 October 2014). "Tribute to Carol Bristol, QC". Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. St. Lucia.