BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Newly installed Chief Justice Leslie Haynes has officially taken up the post with plans to modernize the judiciary.
Attorney-at-law Leslie Haynes (right) takes the oath of office as Barbados’ new Chief Justice before President Dame Sandra Mason (left). (BGIS)The attorney-at-law with over 40 years’ experience replaces Sir Patterson Cheltenham who retired last week. After being sworn in at State House by President Dame Sandra Mason, he said he was “humbled” to have been chosen for the post.
“There’s a lot of work to be done to carry on from where the last Chief Justice left off. The transformation of Government, of which the judiciary is part of, is still to be achieved, and that would be my objective – to transform the judiciary into a modern court system, one that we would all be proud of,” he told the media.
Attorney General Dale Marshall, who was present at the swearing-in, agreed with the new Chief Justice, saying that “there’s still a lot of work to be done in transforming our judiciary”.
“It has served us well, but you know that I have been very critical of a number of issues, particularly the length of time that attends the delivery of decisions, and I expect that you probably had the same concern when you were on the other side of the bench. So, now is an opportunity for you to help us to wrestle that to the ground,” Marshall told him.
He also gave the assurance that the necessary resources would be made available to ensure the tasks at hand were achieved.
The Attorney General also spoke highly of Haynes as he congratulated him on his new job.
“He has been an advocate of extraordinary prowess. He has a keen legal mind and I think he follows in a very, very strong tradition of judicial officers,” he said.
Speaking directly to the new Chief Justice, he added: “For my part as Attorney General, I look forward to working very much with you. I enjoyed a very cordial relationship with your predecessor, and I anticipate that you and I will have exactly the same kind of relationship.”
Haynes said that at the age of 12 or 13, he determined that he wanted to be an attorney, and he worked towards his goal.
He was called to the bar in October, 1980. From then, the chief justice said, work was paramount and that work ethic had served him well until today.
Haynes added that his motto has always been work hard and serve one’s clients.
