Don’t let CJ select chief magistrate

Israel Khan,SC
Israel Khan,SC

Senior Counsel Israel Khan is calling on the President to hold his hand on the appointment of a new chief magistrate next month.

Khan said he read “with anxiety” that the vacant position of chief magistrate, created by the appointment and subsequent firing of former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar as a High Court judge, was to be filled in January.

“It is my considered view, and all sensible and responsible citizens will agree, that Chief Justice Archie should not sit as a member of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission in order to select the person to be appointed chief magistrate until the sordid issues surrounding him are resolved.

“And if this has already been done with CJ Archie as a member of the JLSC then the President should hold his hand on the said appointment until the Archie mess is cleaned up,” Khan said.

In November, the JLSC advertised the position of chief magistrate and invited applications.

The advertisement set out the minimum qualifications, experience, duties and responsibilities of the office holder, who will earn a salary of $32,700.

The deadline for applications was November 23. A copy of the advertisement was also sent to the Law Association

The substantive position of chief magistrate was left vacant when the former office holder, Ayers-Caesar ,was appointed a judge in April. Deputy Chief Magistrate Maria Busby-Earle-Caddle, who was appointed from January 13, has been acting in the position of head of the magistracy.

The JLSC is headed by Archie.

Comments

"Don’t let CJ select chief magistrate"

More in this section