New Commercial Court Opens
The new Commercial Court was officially opened today [July 1] by Premier Dr. Ewart Brown. The new facility is located on the 2nd floor of the Government Administration Building. Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator Kim Wilson and Chief Justice Richard Ground addressed the dignitaries and invited guests, many of whom were members of the court and legal fraternity. The Premier performed the official ribbon-cutting and invited guests were given a tour of the facilities that includes two Commercial court rooms, judges’ chambers and administrative offices. The Premier said the new court rivals any commercial court in any part of the world. “This is Bermuda and this is how we do business,” he added.
Attorney General Senator Kim Wilson full remarks are below:
The occasion of the official opening of the Commercial Courts represent a milestone in the modernization and development of the infrastructure that supports the proper and efficient administration of justice in Bermuda.
That said, it is only appropriate that we both emphazise and publicize the important role that modern, well-equipped, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing commercial court facilities play in making Bermuda the destination of choice for the conduct of international business.
It is accepted that one of the important elements necessary for the success of any financial services sector is a well-structured, organized and efficiently run judicial system; one staffed by an independent judiciary which is responsible to the litigation demands of such an industry. Bermuda as a world-renown jurisdiction for the provision of financial services, is no different in this respect from any other international financial centre. It is clear that members of the judiciary and their staff are sensitive to and cognizant of the importance of providing a high level of judicial service.
Indeed, having accomplished this goal, the Commercial Courts are tangible proof of the Government’s commitment to not only ensuring that our legislative regulatory framework reflects international best practices, but also, to providing a proper, state-of-the-art infrastructure and physical plant for the adjudication of commercial matters, which reflects the importance of international business to our economy.
Having reached this milestone, we must now look to the future and capitalize on the opportunity to expand our services to accommodate alternative forms of commercial dispute resolution. With the increasing cost-saving measures of arbitrations, coupled with Bermuda’s international reputation for excellence, our desire to remain on the cutting edge of the provision of financial services necessitates that consideration be given to extending the use of these court rooms for international commercial arbitrations where possible.
I am confident that I speak for those present today in extending my sincere gratitude to everyone who has worked tirelessly to bring this project to fruition. It has been a long road but I have ever confidence that this new Court facility will play a central role in the efforts of the Government to preserve and enhance Bermuda’s reputation as a jurisdiction that is responsive to the needs of our international business partners.
As Minister of Justice, I welcome all present and future users of these fine facilities which are exemplary of the level of judicial service that will be maintained in this jurisdiction.
Chief Justice Richard Ground’s full remarks are below:
It is my very great pleasure to welcome you all here this afternoon for this felicitous occasion, and to thank the Hon. Premier for coming to cut the ribbon and declare this new Commercial Court facility open.
A project like this has many components, but I would like particularly to acknowledge the untiring work of the Registrar, Miss Charlene Scott, who has managed the project from our end in a very hands-on way. That it has come to fruition owes much to her commitment and hard work. I would also like to thank Lucy Cheung from Works & Engineering, who was their project manager; Sherry Weitz from Shy Architecture, who oversaw the project; BLDC, the contractors who did the work; and of course Grady Carmichael, the Works & Engineering superintendent who looks after the Judiciary.
I would also like to acknowledge the assistance we received from Tina Tucker in the Ministry of Finance, and the co-operation we always got from the Ministry of Works & Engineering – both from the present Permanent Secretary, Mr. Robert Horton, and from his predecessor, Dr. Derrick Binns, who steered us in this direction in the first place.
I would like to say a brief word about the importance of the Commercial Court, which came into being as a separate entity with a change in the Rules of the Supreme Court which took effect on 1st January 2006, although the work that the Court does had always been there. The Court is staffed by Mr. Justice Ian Kawaley and myself, which means that most of the work falls on his broad shoulders. A third Commercial Judge, Mr. Justice Bell, retired at the beginning of this year but still comes back to help us out on an acting basis as needed.
The public tends to overlook the commercial side of the Supreme Court, no doubt because it is overshadowed by the criminal work. It is inevitable that criminal trials will get all the attention. Yet the commercial jurisdiction of the Supreme Court is a vital component of Bermuda’s financial and business sector, and it offers those who come to it an efficient, professional and effective means of dispute resolution. The Commercial Court is now heavily used, and the cases it hears can involve huge sums of money and have important international consequences. I know that it is well-respected abroad, but it has been neglected at home – and one consequence of that has been that until now it lacked appropriate premises. Sometimes we even had to try serious, international cases in Church Halls or the Salvation Army Citadel, and that was just not good for Bermuda or for its international image.
The opening of this new facility puts that right. We now have a seat for the Commercial Court which matches the professionalism of the Judges who sit in it, and the importance of the cases they hear. It projects the right image for Bermuda. It is something that we can all be proud of.
It is, therefore, with very great pleasure, and pride, that I now invite the Hon. Premier to cut the ribbon and declare this new facility open.
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