Former chief magistrate sworn in as TCI chief justice

Former Cayman Chief Magistrate Margaret Ramsay-Hale took her oath of office this week as chief justice in the Turks and Caicos Islands.  

The first woman to hold this office, she was sworn in by Governor Peter Beckingham.  

Ms. Ramsay-Hale’s appointment was announced in June. Mr. Beckingham said at the time, “I am certain that she will bring a great deal of energy as well as professional wisdom and experience to this very important job in the Turks and Caicos Islands.” 

The new chief justice’s experience includes 13 years in Cayman, serving as a magistrate from September 1998 and then as chief magistrate from 2008 until her appointment in 2011 as Puisne Judge of the Turks and Caicos Supreme Court. 

Ms. Ramsay-Hale, who said she regarded Cayman as home because her children grew up here, was on island recently and visited a session of the Drug Rehabilitation Court on Sept. 4. Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn introduced her to participants as the person who initiated the “virtual drug court” – referring to Ms. Ramsay-Hale’s insistence on regular court appearances, drug testing and counseling for defendants with drug addiction problems. 

Meanwhile, Magistrate Nova Hall (now chief magistrate) headed a committee to get the Drug Rehabilitation Court passed into law. When that finally happened in 2006, both magistrates presided in the formal drug court. Since then, an informal drug court has continued for defendants who do not meet the criteria for the more structured drug court. 

When Ms. Ramsay-Hale left Cayman, Chief Justice Anthony Smellie praised her work in piloting a program for drink-driving offenders, a mental health court and the domestic violence intervention court. These courts continue, also on an informal basis. Referred to as “problem solving courts,” they look to the roots of offending behavior and try to find meaningful alternatives to prison. 

Born in Jamaica, Ms. Ramsay-Hale holds a degree in economics from the London School of Economics, as well as a law degree from the University of the West Indies. Her father, the late Ian Ramsay, was the first Jamaican attorney to be named Queen’s Counsel.