The Hon. Hugh Anthony Rawlins, on Wednesday, August 13, 2008, received notice from the Office of the Lord High Chancellor, Honourable Jack Straw, confirming his appointment as Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.  He also received Letters Patent issued by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 30th May 2008 which conferred the appointment of the Office.

The newly appointed Chief Justice Rawlins replaces Sir Brian George Keith Alleyne, SC, KCN, who retired from the position of Acting Chief Justice in April 2008:  “It will be quite different and it will give a different perspective from which to try to dispense justice. Hither to I was merely concerned with sitting in court, making decisions, writing judgments, delivering those judgments and by that media hoping that justice would have been done between party and party when they came to court. Now in addition, I would have to be administering the courts. It means being responsible for administering the courts in the nine member territories of the OECS.”

Chief Justice Rawlings has had tremendous experience in the legal system. This includes being Crown Council, Registrar, Magistrate, and Solicitor General as well as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Legal Affairs prior to becoming a law lecturer at the University of the West Indies’ Cave Hill Campus. He joined the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court as one of the first two Masters in 2000, and since then has steadily climbed the judicial ladder, serving as a High Court Judge, Court of Appeal Judge, and Acting Chief Justice since April 28, 2008. As a civil servant, Rawlings has served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministries of Agriculture and Communications as well as a teacher.

The newly appointed Chief Justice Rawlins told the OECS News-Link (www.oecs.org) he will continue the quest by others before him to continuously enhance the credibility and efficiency of the court system: It will not just be now the sitting and delivering judgments or making decisions in particular cases but in addition to try to oversee and to manage the courts in the nine member territories in such a way to ensure the efficiency of the system. That means having overall management of the court registries in all of those nine member territories.” Chief Justice Rawlins attended the University of the West Indies where he received the LL. B and LL. M; and also studied at The Hague Academy of International Law, Netherlands and Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London. Prior to joining the Court he served in the public sector and also lectured at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. He is a regionally recognized legal scholar, and has authored and co-authored several papers in various areas of law, which have been published in regional and international law publications.