The Judicial Committee of Privy Council, the UK’s highest court of appeal, opened a historic visit to Cayman on Tuesday with an official welcome ceremony followed by a hearing of the first of four cases.
Members of Cayman’s three branches of government and the wider legal fraternity gathered on the steps of the Halls of Justice (formerly the main court building) to witness the sitting of the Privy Council, which has arrived to preside over a series of complex legal questions in the coming days.
The first case to be heard concerns a long-running dispute between shareholders of a Cayman Islands joint venture company that facilitated the expansion of Japanese convenience store brand FamilyMart into China.
But the case which has garnered the most attention is that of convicted murderers, brothers Justin Ramoon and Osborne Douglas, who were believed to have been plotting a daring armed jail break.
When the plan was discovered, authorities swiftly transferred both men to a UK maximum security prison.
Now the Privy Council has been tasked with reviewing whether the means by which the information was reviewed was legal, and if it wasn’t, should the brothers be brought back home.
But before the justices began to hear the legal disputes, they were welcomed in true pomp and circumstance.
To mark the momentous occasion, a guard of honour comprising officers from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service was assembled outside the court, which was inspected by Privy Council President Lord Robert John Reed, Lord Reed of Allermuir.
A learning experience for both sides
This visit marks the first time that the Privy Council has presided over Cayman Islands cases in this jurisdiction, and Lord Reed believes it is a chance for the Council and the people of Cayman to learn more about each other.
“We want to get to know the Islands and the people of the Islands, to learn about life here and the challenges that you face,” said Reed, who added that learning is a two-way street.
“We hope that our visit will also provide the people of the Islands with the opportunity to learn more about the Privy Council, about its role, and about its importance to the Islands.”
To enable this learning process, the proceedings are open to the public.
Outside of the courtroom, the judges are slated to participate in information sessions with both senior legal practitioners and students in Cayman, including through its ‘Ask a Justice’ programme.
The judges are slated to depart later this week; however, Lord Reed says he hopes this visit will be the first of many more.
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