Judicial Administration

Justices of Appeal

Hon. Dr. Abdulai Conteh

Justice of the Court of Appeal

  • Born 1945; in Sierra Leone
  • Called to the bar of England and Wales
  • LLB (Hons): Kings College, London Univ. 1969 and Cambridge University, United Kingdom, 1971
  • LLM, London University, U.K., 1971
  • Certificate in Managing Transactions and Legal Risks in a Global Economy, Washington College of Law, 1997
  • Member of Lincoln’s Inn
  • Ph.D. (International Law), Kings College, Cambridge University, U.K., 1974
  • State Counsel, Law Officers Department of Government of Sierra Leone, 1974 – 1975;
  • Established the law firm of Conteh, Terry & Co., Sierra Leone; Senior Partner 1975 – 1987
  • Legal Practitioner; Lecturer in Law, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone: 1975 – 1977
  • Elected Member of Parliament, Sierra Leone 1977 - 1992
  • Minister of Finance, Government of Sierra Leone: 1984 - 1985
  • Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Government of Sierra Leone: 1987 – 1991
  • Bencher and Lecturer in law: 1989 – 1992; Sierra Leone Law School
  • First Vice President and Minister of Internal Affairs, Sierra Leone Government: 1991 – 1992
  • Consultant to the Government of The Gambia on the law of evidence, resulting in the Evidence Act 1994 of The Gambia
  • Acted as consultant on strategy for collaboration between World Space Foundation, Washington DC and UN Agencies
  • Political officer UNTAET 1999 - 2000
  • Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Belize: 2000 to present
  • Justice of the Court of Appeal of the Cayman Islands, 2008 to present

Hon. Geoffrey Charles Vos, QC.

Justice of the Court of Appeal

  • Born 1955; United Kingdom
  • Called to the bar of England and Wales in 1977;
  • Secretary of the Chancery Bar Association, 1994-1997;;
  • Chairman of the Fees collection Committee to the Bar Council, 1995-2004;
  • Vice Chairman of the Chancery Bar Association, 1997-1999;
  • Chairman of the Chancery Bar Association (1999 to 2001);
  • Vice-Chairman of the Professional Standards Committee of the Bar Council, 2001-2003;
  • Member of the General Management Committee of the Bar Council, 2004-2007
  • Chairman of the Professional Standards Committee of the Bar Council, 2004-2005;
  • Head of Chambers at 3 Stone Buildings
  • Bencher at Lincoln’s Inn
  • Vice-Chairman of the Bar Council, 2006
  • Chairman of the Bar Council, 2007
  • Chairman of the Trustees of the Social Mobility Foundation, (January 2008 onwards)
  • Sits as arbitrator in commercial and reinsurance matters
  • Deputy High Court Judge in the Chancery Division
  • Judge of the Courts of Appeals of Jersey, Guernsey and the Cayman Islands.

Hon. Justice Elliot, D. Mottley Q.C.

Justice of the Court of Appeal

  • Born 1939, Barbados;
  • Called to the Bar in England and Wales November 1961;
  • Admitted to the Bar in Barbados as Barrister, 1961;
  • Admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the West Indies Associated States (practicing in St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, British Virgin Islands, Grenada, Montserrat and Anguilla), 1967;
  • Member of Barbados Parliament (for the constituency of the City of Bridgetown for the Barbados Labour Party), 1969 – 1976;
  • Principal Representative of the Government of Barbados in New York, U.S.A. (Designation of Counsel General),1976;
  • Appointed Queen’s Counsel, 1980;
  • Admitted to practice at the Bar in Trinidad & Tobago, 1992;
  • Her Majesty’s Attorney General for the Island of Bermuda; acting as Deputy Governor on several occasions; 1995 – 1998;
  • Appointed non-resident Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal, Belize, 1999;
  • Chairman, Disciplinary Committee of the Barbados Bar Association, 1999 – 2000;
  • Appointed non-resident Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal Turks & Caicos Islands 2002;
  • Acted as Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of Barbados, 2002;
  • Admitted to practice at the Bar in Antigua and Barbuda, 2003;
  • Appointed President of the Court of Appeal, Belize, 2004;
  • Appointed Justice of the Court Appeal, the Cayman Islands 2005 to present.

Hon. Ian Xavier Forte, Q.C., O.J., C.D.

Justice of the Court of Appeal

  • Born 1936, Jamaica
  • Called to the Bar Lincoln’s Inn, London, February 1960;
  • Crown Counsel, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Jamaica, 1963-1968;
  • Resident Magistrate, Jamaica; 1968-1977
  • Acting Grand Court Judge for six months, Cayman Islands, 1969;
  • Distinguished President, Kiwanis Club of North St. Andrew; 1978;
  • Awarded National Honours – Commander of Distinction (C.D.), 1979;
  • Admitted to the Inner Bar (Queen’s Counsel), 1981;
  • Director of Public Prosecutions, responsible for all criminal prosecutions throughout the island of Jamaica; with administrative responsibility for the running of the office; Appearing on many occasions in her Majesty’s Privy Council; 1977-1987;
  • Appointed Judge of Appeal, Jamaica, 1988;
  • Honoured by St. George’s College Old Boys’ Association – Award of Excellence, 1998;
  • President, Court of Appeal, Jamaica, with responsibility for the administration and management of the Court, September 1999 to 2005;
  • Legion of Honour and Life Member, Kiwanis International, 1999;
  • Awarded National Honours – Order of Jamaica (O.J.), 2000;
  • Admitted to the Hall of Fame – St. Georges College, 2003;
  • Justice of Appeal, Cayman Islands, July 2004 to present;
  • Honoured by the Jamaica Bar Association, 2006;
  • Former President Big Brothers of Jamaica;
  • Former President Kiwanis Club of North St. Andrew;
  • Former President – St. Georges College Past Students’ Association;
  • Former President Stella Maris Church Council;
  • Former Vice Chairman St. George’s College School Board;
  • Usher – Stella Maris Church;
  • Chairman – Steering Committee – UNDP’s;
  • “Civil Dialogue For Democratic Governance”;
  • Chairman – Kiwanis Foundation’s “Discipline and Courtesy” Campaign.