West Indies Associated States Supreme Court Order 1967
1967 No. 223
ASSOCIATED STATES
The West Indies Associated States Supreme Court Order 196722ndFebruary 1967
27thFebruary 1967
At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 22nd day of February 1967
Present,
The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in Council
Her Majesty, by virtue and in exercise of Her powers under section 6 of the West Indies Act 1967(a), is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, as follows:—
PART I—INTRODUCTORY
Citation, commencement and revocation.
1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the West Indies Associated States Supreme Court Order 1967.
(2) This Order shall come into operation on 27th February 1967:
Provided that the provisions of subsection (3) of this section and sections 18 to 23 of this Order shall come into operation on such later date (hereinafter referred to as "the prescribed date") as the Chief Justice may by order prescribe.
(3) The Windward Islands and Leeward Islands (Courts) Order in Council 1959(b), as amended(c), (hereinafter referred to as "the Order of 1959") and the British Caribbean Court of Appeal Order in Council 1962(d), as amended(e), (hereinafter referred to as "the Order of 1962") are revoked in so far as they have effect as part of the law of each State:
Provided that the provisions of sections 21(2) and 22(5) of the Order of 1959 and article 9 of the Order of 1962 shall continue in force as part of the law of each State as if those Orders had not been revoked.
Interpretation.
2.—(1) In this Order "State" means any of the following, that is to say—
Antigua,
Dominica,
Grenada,
Saint Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla,
Saint Lucia, and
Saint Vincent.
(2) In this Order any reference to a State shall be construed as including a reference to its dependencies (if any).
(a) 1967 c. 4.
(b) S.I. 1959/2197 (1959 I, p. 563).
(c) The relevant amending Orders are S.I. 1960/1658, 1962/1084, 1967/162 (1960 I, p. 473; 1962 II, p. 1220; 1967 I, p. 273).
(d) S.I. 1962/1086 (1962 II, 1247).
(e) The relevant amending Orders are S.I. 1962/1245, 1962/1870, 1966/575, 1966/1455 (1962 II, pp. 1367, 2186; 1966 II, p. 1226; III, p. 3858).
(3) In this Order, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to the holder of an office by the term designating his office shall be construed as including a reference to any person who, under and to the extent of any authority in that behalf, is for the time being performing the functions of that office.
(4) (a) Where any person has vacated any office established by or under this Order he may, if qualified, again be appointed to hold that office from time to time.
(b) A person may be appointed to an office established by or under this Order notwithstanding that some other person may be holding that office when that other person is on leave of absence pending the relinquishment of the office; and where two or more persons are holding the same office by reason of an appointment made in pursuance of this paragraph, then, for the purposes of any function conferred upon the holder of that office, the person last appointed shall be deemed to be the sole holder of the office.
(5) Any act done for the purposes of this Order by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission or the interim Commission established by section 24 of this Order shall be signified in writing under the hand of the Chairman of the Commission.
(6) The Interpretation Act 1889(a) shall apply, with the necessary adaptations, for the purpose of interpreting this Order and otherwise in relation thereto as it applies for the purpose of interpreting, and in relation to, Acts of Parliament.
Application, to Saint Vincent.
3. Until such time as Saint Vincent assumes a status of association with the United Kingdom in accordance with the provisions of the West Indies Act 1967, references in this Order to the Premier of a State shall, in their application to Saint Vincent, be construed as references to the Administrator of Saint Vincent, acting in his discretion.
PART II—THE SUPREME COURT
Establishment of Supreme Court.
4.—(1) There shall be a Supreme Court for the States which shall be styled the West Indies Associated States Supreme Court and shall be a superior court of record.
(2) The Supreme Court shall consist of a Court of Appeal and a High Court of Justice.
(3) Subject to the provisions of subsection (5) of this section, the judges of the Court of Appeal shall be the Chief Justice, who shall be President of the Court, and two Justices of Appeal.
(4) Subject to the provisions of subsection (5) of this section, the judges of the High Court shall be the Chief Justice and six Puisne Judges.
(5) The number of Justices of Appeal and of Puisne Judges of the High Court may be varied by order of the Chief Justice made with the concurrence of the Premiers of all the States:
Provided that no office of Justice of Appeal or Puisne Judge shall be abolished while there is a substantive holder thereof without the consent of the holder thereof.
(a) 1889 c. 63.
(6) The Court of Appeal and the High Court shall be deemed to be duly constituted notwithstanding a vacancy in the office of any judge of the Court.
(7) The Court of Appeal and the High Court shall each have and use a seal bearing the style of the court and a device approved by the Chief Justice.
Appointment of judges.
5.—(1) The Chief Justice shall be appointed by Her Majesty by Letters Patent and the Justices of Appeal and the Puisne Judges shall be appointed on behalf of Her Majesty by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission.
(2) A person shall not be qualified to be appointed—
(a) as Chief Justice or a Justice of Appeal unless—
(i) he has been for a period or periods amounting in the aggregate to not less than five years a judge of a court of unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from such a court; or
(ii) he is qualified to practise as an advocate in such a court, and has so practised, for a period of, or periods amounting in the aggregate to, not less than fifteen years;
(b) as a Puisne Judge unless—
(i) he is or has been a judge of a court of unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from such a court; or
(ii) he is qualified to practise as an advocate in such a court, and has so practised, for a period of or periods amounting in the aggregate to not less than ten years.
(3) For the purposes of subsection (2) of this section references in that subsection to a period or periods during which a person has practised as an advocate in any such court as is mentioned in that subsection shall be construed as including a period or periods during which a person—
(a) has been serving in the office of judge of any such court; or
(b) after having become qualified to practise as an advocate in any such court, has been serving in a public office in some part of the Commonwealth the functions of which include appearing as an advocate in any such court or in the office of magistrate, or registrar of a court, in some part of the Commonwealth.
Acting judges.
6.—(1) The Judicial and Legal Services Commission may designate generally or for a specific occasion one of the Justices of Appeal to act as Chief Justice in the event that the office of the Chief Justice is vacant or that the Chief Justice is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his office.
(2) If one of the Justices of Appeal is acting as Chief Justice or if the office of a Justice of Appeal or a Puisne Judge is vacant or if a Justice of Appeal or a Puisne Judge is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his office, the Judicial and Legal Services Commission may appoint a person qualified for appointment as a Justice of Appeal or Puisne Judge to act as a Justice of Appeal or Puisne Judge, as the case may be.
(3) A person appointed under this section to act as Chief Justice, a Justice of Appeal or a Puisne Judge shall (unless he earlier resigns his appointment or is removed therefrom in pursuance of the provisions of section 8 of this Order) continue to act in that office for the period, if any, for which he was appointed or until a person has been appointed to and assumed, or has resumed, the functions of that office, as the case may be.
(4) Any person appointed to the office of, or to act as, Chief...
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