Attorneys welcome Ayers-Caesar to the bench

Ayers-Caesar began presiding in the Third Criminal Assize Court having served as chief magistrate.

She was appointed a judge by the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC) along with magistrate Avason Quinlan-Williams and attorney in private practice Kevin Ramcharan.

The appointments were made amidst concerns raised by Senior Counsel Israel Khan and attorney Gerald Ramdeen about magistrates leaving too many part-heard cases in limbo while they were chosen as judges. Ramdeen has since called on Chief Justice Ivor Archie, head of the JLSC, to disclose the criterion used for the appointment of judges to the High Court.

Archie has since hit back with the comment that the highest calibre of judges have been selected to the bench and the Judiciary is the only branch of government that has published and publicly articulated the criterion for appointments.

Ayers-Caesar took her seat at 9.10 am and, before the first case was called, attorney Subhas Panday welcomed her on behalf of attorneys at the criminal bar. He said for a long time during his practice in the courts attorneys have come to have confidence in the justice that is meted out. Even accused persons, he added, may not have liked the verdict and the sentence, but they to came to realise that they have no choice but to be pleased. Panday, a senior attorney, told Ayers-Caesar, “All your good work, brilliance and dedication have borne fruit. I am deeply grateful to have you in this jurisdiction.” Senior State attorney Shabaana Shah also welcomed the new judge and assured her of co-operation from attorneys from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Ayers-Caesar dealt with three criminal cases, all of which she adjourned due to the unreadiness of attorneys involved.