Chief Justice of the Bahamas explained

The chief justice of the Bahamas heads the Supreme Court of the Bahamas.

Legal basis

The position of chief justice is authorised by Article 93(2) of the Constitution of the Bahamas. Under Article 94(1), the governor-general appoints the chief justice on the recommendation of the prime minister after consultation with the leader of the opposition. Removal of the chief justice is governed by Article 96(6); the prime minister recommends removal to the governor-general, who then forms a tribunal of at least three members selected by the governor-general in accordance with the advice of the prime minister. Under Article 98(2), the chief justice may be invited to sit on the Court of Appeal by the president of that court.^[1]

List of chief justices

British Crown Colony of the Bahamas, 1718-1973

• Thomas Walker, 1718– (died 1723)
• Sir William Morison, c.1770
• Thomas Atwood, 1773-1785
• John Matson, 1785-1789 (afterwards Chief Justice of Dominica, 1789)^[2]
• Stephen de Lancey c.1790–1797
• Moses Franks 1799–1805 (died 1810) United States Gazette, March 6, 1805. Phila., PA
• William Vesey Munnings 1811–1836
• Sir John Campbell Lees 1836–1865 ^[3]
• Sir William Henry Doyle 1865–
• Sir George Campbell Anderson 1875– ^{[4] [5]}
• Henry William Austin, 1880–1890 ^[6]
• Roger Yelverton (1890–1893)^[7]
• (Sir) Charles George Walpole, 1893–1897 ^{[8] [9]}
• Sir Ormond Drimmie Malcolm 1897–1910^[10]
• Sir John Bromhead Matthews 1910–1911
• Daniel Thomas Tudor 1911–1922 ^{[11] [12] [13]}
• Sir Sidney Charles Nettleton 1922–1924 (afterwards Chief Justice of Cyprus, 1924)
• Sir Ewen Reginald Logan 1925–1927
• Sir Kenneth James Beatty 1927–1931 (afterwards Chief Justice of Gibraltar, 1931)
• Sir Richard Clifford Tute, K.C.M.G, 1932-1939
• Sir Oscar Bedford Daly, 1939– ^[14]
• Sir Oswald Lawrence Bancroft, 1951- ^[15]
• Sir Guy Wilmot McLintock Henderson ?1956–1960 ^[16]
• Sir Ralph Abercrombie Campbell, 10 August 1960 to 31 May 1970^[17]
• William Gordon Bryce, C.B.E., Q.C., 1 June 1970 to 30 June 1973

Bahamas after independence in 1973

• Sir Leonard J. Knowles, 4 July 1973 to 6 August 1978
• James Alfred Smith, 7 July 1978 to 11 May 1980
• Harvey Lloyd da Costa, 18 November 1980 to 31 December 1981
• Vivian O. Blake, 1 January 1982 to 9 September 1983
• Sir Denis Eustace Gilbert Malone (acting), 10 September to 31 December 1983
• Rt. Hon. Mr. Philip Telford Georges, 1 January 1984 to 30 September 1989
• Sir Joaquim Gonsalves Sabola, 1 October 1989 to 31 December 1995
• Sir Cyril S. S. Fountain, 1 January 1995 to 30 October 1996
• Dame Joan A. Sawyer, DBE, 1 November 1996 to 26 November 2001
• Sir Burton P. C. Hall, KSS, KHS, 2001 to 2009^[18]
• Hon. Sir Michael L. Barnett, 24 August 2009 to 31 January 2015 ^[19]
• Hon. Sir Hartman Longley, 2 February 2015 to 22 December 2017 ^[20]
• Hon. Stephen Isaacs, 10 August 2018 to 24 August 2018
• Hon. Sir Brian Moree, KC, 12 June 2019 to 3 August 2022^{[21] [22]}
• Hon. Sir Ian Winder, 3 August 2022 to Present^[23]

Notes and References

1. Book: The Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Chapter VII: The Judicature. 2012-07-08.
2. Book: Sylvanus, Urban. The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle. 75, Part 2. 1805. J. Nichols and Son. London, England. 1193–1194.
3. The Gentleman's Magazine, Volumes 160-161
4. News: Northampton Mercury. 16 October 1875.
5. 12 October 1875 . Appointments . The Gazette . London, England . 24254 . 4821.
6. Web site: Addresses presented to Hon. H.W. Austin, Chief Justice of Bahamas, on his retirement from the bench of the colony.. 24 October 1890. publisher not identified. Open WorldCat.
7. Book: Wiener . Martin J. . An Empire on Trial: Race, Murder, and Justice under British Rule, 1870–1935 . 2008 . Cambridge University Press . 978-1-139-47344-6 . 118–124 . en.
8. Web site: Epsom & Ewell History Explorer. www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk.
9. Book: Shaw, William. The Knights of England: A Complete Record from the Earliest Time. 402.
10. News: Dorsett . Sidney . July 4, 1973 . Leonard Knowles Sworn in as the First Bahamian Chief Justice in 63 Years . 6 May 2024 . Tribune newspaper . 1 . The new Chief Justice [Leonard Knowles] who succeeds Sir William Gordon Bryce CBE . LKsworn_in.
11. News: 1 Dec 1928 . Local obituaries: Sir Daniel Tudor . Cheltenham Chronicle and Gloucestershire Graphic . 7.
12. 11 August 1911 . Appointments . The Gazette . London, England . 28521 . 5986.
13. 19 September 1922 . Appointments . The London Gazette . 32748 . 6710.
14. A Serpent In Eden: 'The greatest murder mystery of all time'
15. Supplement to the London Gazette, 7 June 1951
16. SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 31 MAY 1956
17. Web site: Former Justices of the Supreme Court. Supreme Court of the Bahamas. 2012-07-07. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150101073017/http://www.courts.gov.bs/cms/wp-content/uploads/supremecourt_formerjustices.pdf. 2015-01-01.
18. News: Sir Burton Hall nominated to become a Permanent Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The Bahamas Weekly. 2009-06-25. 2012-07-08.
19. Web site: New Chief Justice takes over The Judiciary. The Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. 2009-08-24. 2012-07-07. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130709142740/http://bahamassupremecourt.gov.bs/news.php?content=13. 2013-07-09.
20. Web site: Swearing In of New Chief Justice Hartman Longley . The Bahamas Weekly. 2015-02-02. 2015-03-07.
21. Web site: CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD | Honours and Awards | The Gazette. www.thegazette.co.uk.
22. Web site: BRIAN MOREE, QC SWORN IN AS NEW CHIEF JUSTICE – Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Bahamas.
23. Web site: Hon. Mr. Justice Ian Winder, sworn in as the new Chief Justice. The Bahamas Weekly. 2022-08-05. 2022-01-03.