By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

COURT of Appeal President Justice Dame Anita Allen yesterday boasted a 70 per cent completion of more than 1,700 appeals since her appointment to the post in November 2010.

Speaking to members of the judiciary and other guests during the annual special sitting of the Court of Appeal, Dame Anita revealed that it would be her last as she confirmed that she is set to retire from the bench in December.

However, the appellate president said that the appellate court had much to be proud of for the work that had been accomplished since her appointment with the help of her colleagues and staff, which enabled them to hear 1,756 matters since November 2010.

For the period December 1, 2015 to November 30, 2016, the appellate court completed 181 substantive appeals, 60 applications, gave 36 reasoned and/or reserved decisions. There were only 42 adjournments according to the annual report produced.

“Our performance for 2016 is summarised at page 48 of our annual report but on this occasion, I wish also to give you an overview of the work that we have done between the date I assumed office in November 2010 and on November 30, 2016,” Dame Anita said.

“Of the 1,756 matters filed between those dates, the full court has disposed of 1,227 substantive appeals, 396 applications of various kinds, including 26 applications for final leave to appeal to the Privy Council. We have written 250 reasoned judgments and given 1373 extempore decisions. I am extremely proud of our achievement and publicly thank judges for their tireless commitment to hard work, their stellar service to the court and their collegiality, encouragement and support,” she added.

“At my swearing-in on November 26, 2010, I promised that the Court of Appeal would be a court of excellence and efficiency and would dispense justice in accordance with the highest judicial standards,” Dame Anita said.

“I promised that litigants in the Court of Appeal would not be frustrated, harassed or bewildered in their pursuit of justice. I also promised mutual respect between bench and bar, and a judicial temperance which facilitates the pursuit of justice and upholds the dignity of the appeal process. I trust it is evidence that those promises have been kept.”

The appellate president attributed the court’s high level of performance to the work of our registrars, judicial research counsel secretaries and staff at the court.

“In the end, however, the credit for performance of the court must be given to all of the judges who have served during my tenure. They include Justices (George) Newman, (Christopher) Blackman, (Stanley) John, (Abdulai) Conteh, and (Neville) Adderley and Justices (Jon Isaacs), (Stella) Crane-Scott and (Roy) Jones who day in and day out, deal efficiently, fairly, justly with the grind of very difficult, but important legal issues on appeal, the timely disposition of which, is of utmost importance to those who seek justice,” she said.

“Today marks the beginning of my long goodbye. Mistress ‘time’ and master ‘constitution’ so mandate; and it is almost time to go. Indeed, this is the last opening of the legal year over which I shall preside,” Dame Anita said.

“My retirement on December 21, 2017, after 21 years in the judiciary will be an occasion of some personal sadness for me but I take great comfort in knowing that I did my very best and took advantage of every opportunity to make a difference in the administration of justice,” the appellate president added.