Patterson Cheltenham, GCM, QC, was this morning sworn in as Chief Justice of Barbados.
Governor General Dame Sandra Mason administered the Oaths of Allegiance and of Office at Government House before an audience that included his brother, former president of the Senate, Sir Richard Cheltenham, other family members and Attorney General Dale Marshall.
The appointment will take effect from November 1, 2020.
Cheltenham, the fifth Chief Justice since Independence, said he felt humbled, yet proud.
Speaking to the media, he said on Monday morning he would speak with the judges and lay out his plan because it would require “an enormous team effort”. He said there were serious matters to discuss and he had a 90-day plan but declined to reveal any of the strategies he hoped to implement to clear the backlog of cases plaguing the Barbados judiciary.
Cheltenham will preside over the island’s largest judiciary.
Meanwhile, Marshall said the appointment was the first via the recently implemented application process. The new Chief Justice is also the first to have worked entirely in the private bar and the Attorney General believes the country will benefit from the “unique perspective and experience” this brings. (SAT).