Queen Elizabeth honors Chief Justice of OECS Supreme Court

Justice Janice M Pereira
Justice Janice Pereira

Queen Elizabeth II has conferred upon Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Eastern Caribbean, Janice Pereira, Dame Commander in the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for the administration of justice in the region.

The DBE is an order of chivalry established on June 4, 1917 by King George V.

“My warmest congratulations go to Honourable Mrs. Justice Janice Pereira on receiving the DBE,” Governor of the British Virgin Islands, Boyd Cleary, said in the London Gazette. “I think I can speak for all in the Territory when I say that the BVI feels a great sense of pride in her tremendous achievements. We can be proud not only that she is from the BVI but also that she is the first ever female Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme court. She serves as a source of inspiration for all Virgin Islanders.”

Pereira is the first ever female Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme court. A native of Virgin Gorda, she obtained her law degree with honours from the University of the West Indies in 1979 and the Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School in 1981.

She was called to the Bar in the British Virgin Islands in 1981 and again in St Kitts and Nevis in 2000.

Between 1981 and 1984, Pereira served in various capacities in the legal system including Ag. Magistrate and Registrar of Companies in the BVI, Acting Registrar General and  Acting Registrar of the Supreme Court.

She served as a High Court Judge from 2003 to 2008 and was elevated to the position of Justice of Appeal on 9th January 2009.

The jurisdiction of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court comprises the six OECS countries of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Christopher and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines as well as the three overseas territories of Anguilla, BVI and Montserrat.

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42 Comments

  1. MARIO
    May 9, 2013

    WHAT about the MARIO comments

  2. anonymous2
    May 9, 2013

    Are you free or are you dominated?

  3. jdjsusy
    May 8, 2013

    iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk oooooooooooooooo fffffffffffffffffff oooo

    dats the way we are

  4. anatra
    May 8, 2013

    great work CHAUVINISTIC WAW!!

  5. why
    May 8, 2013

    DNO I posted up a piece which was researched on the evidential bais behind Sir brian being knighted not by the queen of England but by the government of Antigua.

    I had as its internal label FIAT JUSTITIA. Grateful if you can have it published. it is in support of the views of CHAUVINISTAL WAW!!! And most critical it will provide educational clarity and closure on this matter. It can also be researched via the oecs supreme court website just enter KNIGHTHOOD!

  6. Ha!!
    May 8, 2013

    Well done humble servant of the Caribbean Justice System!!!!!!

    Despite all the talk of bias courts in the Caribbean by opposition politicians and their choir boys and girls , her Royal Hines is very pleased with the Ruling in the Prime Minister’s favor.

    Thank God you were not snubbed by the Queen ; otherwise heaven alone would predict what unsavory things the opposition would have to say on their campaign trail.

    Lennox et tal, take that!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • rita brown
      May 9, 2013

      who ever you are. stupidity and madness has flown so far from you because they have found out you are worst than them both. dont you know this is an evil world evil people receive great honors too. so just because its the queen of england who did it that means its perfect? do you even know the queen what is the difference between the you and the queen? i dont see any both of you are blind and stupid. does the queen even serve the god you talking about? anyway you are just a useless eater

      • ujayate
        May 9, 2013

        “stupidity and madness has flown so far from you..” It seems that you have a serious English problem RITA BROWN…this means that he is far from being stupid or mad.

        Please think before you type clown!

  7. May 8, 2013

    Hello. Well I want to recognize Ms Pereira qualification as a Judge therefore I will separate my other comment.

    I don’t care about any Queen and we aren’t their slaves. I want to tell this so called Queen to go and find a job and when last she held a real job. Like actually working and I mean really working.

  8. FACTS ARE STUBBORN
    May 8, 2013

    FIAT JUSTITIA

    Acting Chief Justice Knighted by Antigua and Barbuda

    His Lordship, the Hon. Justice Brian George keith Alleyne, SC, Acting Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has been appointed ( KNC )Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation ( Antigua and Barbuda ). This Honour came into existence under the National Honours Act of 1998 which ‘…to establish a System of national honours for the purpose of according recognition to citizens of Antigua and Barbuda and other persons for distinguished or meritorious

    • FACTS ARE STUBBORN
      May 8, 2013

      CONTINUATION


      The Hon. Acting Chief Justice was knighted during an Investiture Ceremony Ceremony at the Governor General’s Residence on Monday 16th July 2007.

      Hence DNO the above stated comments came directed from the OECS SUPREME COURT WEBSITE unedited. You can exercise your right to research this piece and even venture to have it published. It is naturally apparent that it seems that the Dominican Public is led innocently into the misbelief that Sir Brian G K Alleyne SC was knighted by the Queen and the records prove that this isn’t the case. This has nothing whatsoever to do with whether or not Sir Brian is the holder of a LLB. This was/is an issue which Captain Victor A J Riviere had dealt with since the 1970’s when he Brian Alleyne were stiff political adversaries.

      Note that Chief Justice Pereira is now Dame Commander in the Order of the Britsh Empire ( DBE sometimes called OBE or even COBE )for the administration of Justice in the region. Brian didn’t get such an award at all. Note also that Dame Pereira’s predecessor is Sir Hugh Rawlins a notable recipient of a similar accolade from the Queen.

      • andy C
        May 8, 2013

        where is the first part of this statement dno ? It makes a lot of god sense. Educational piece FACTS ARE STUBBORN . I would have loved to see the other segment.

      • mahaut
        May 8, 2013

        mondieu………….all the time I thought that it is the Queen that Knighted him Sir Brio Alleyne but it was the government of Antigua . But it is not. It is never too late to learn. It was done so quietly and no press statement about the queen role. Now I understand but he should have said so.

      • MATT IN the KNIGHT
        May 8, 2013

        AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH my shoulders drop. Papa God all the time I was under the mistaken impression that pupa Brian was knighted by the queen. I thought is was the real thing we boy. The real deal from Mother England and now I am hearing something else.

        It is no wander I didn’t hear any rara about that. No champagne bursting, no press conference no nothing at all. Dominicans never even celebrate that. Now I understand the reason. I could remember for Mamo how The freedom people take their foot and those newspaper published it and al Dominicans was proper with that news.

        Maybe it was because of the no law degree that some alleged about him or maybe because he was never appointed as Chief Justice. Sad Sad Sad Story. As I one that I wander of they make him president of Dominica some day, of the queen will consider giving him that award. Just asking ?

  9. Pro
    May 8, 2013

    This honor came too soon. We don’t know yet what her record will be in her current position.

    • scouplelsa
      May 8, 2013

      why are u so ignorant. There is a legal precedent for all of this and doesn’t have a timeframe associated with it.

      • Pro
        May 10, 2013

        You must be really ignorant to refer to my comment as ignorant. SMH

  10. Chauvinistical WAW!!
    May 8, 2013

    Congratulations but our SIR BRIAN G K ALLEYNE was only knighted by the Government of Antigua. We Dominicans would like to know why such a distinguished honor was not bestowed to SIR Brian by the queen.

    DNO please make your independent research on this matter and also readers do the same. Go into the search engine of any of the Antiguan Newspapers via the DNO LINKS and you should be able to find out under what circumstances that Sir Brian was knighted not by the Queen but by the Government of Antigua. His knightedhood had to do with the fact that the Baldwin Spencer Government was bestowing a knighthood on Allan Standford the disgraced Texian fraudster Billionaire for his “investments” in Antigua. Hence as Brian Alleyne had to preside at the ceremony he himself had to be knighted.

    Let me join all the region in advancing best wishes to you on this great and most deserving accolade. We the women of Dominica in the legal profession look at you for guidance and direction and you are highly respectable. You go about your work, not perfectly but without fear or favour.

    May the great God continue to guide your good self and other leaders within this jurisdiction as you all embark upon a known thankless yet absolutely critical task. The OCECS SUPREME COURT remains to be one of the most highly respectable Courts in the British Commonwealth. The Courts’ judgments that have been taken to the British Privy Council for assessment and attendant reports thereof is testimony of the very high respect for this regional court.

    RESPECT WOMEN ON THE BENCH!

    • kuba
      May 8, 2013

      government of Antigua cannot knight anybody only the queen of England can bestowed this upon somebody and Brian Alleyn was night in 2007 ,to be called sir u have to be knighted by the queen

      • INNOCENT
        May 8, 2013

        Please make your research. I did. The person is right. I also thought is was the queen alone who could do this but I was dead wrong. Brian got knighted by the Government of Antigua.

      • In Antigua
        May 8, 2013

        SORRY u are so wrong brian was not knighted by the queen. The Antiguan Government has its own knighthood. I was at the ceremony in Antigua in 2007.

      • hjygf
        May 8, 2013

        KUBA
        THE date of his knighthood by the Antiguan Government was Monday 16th July 2007.
        Sir Brian ALLEYNE was not knighted by the QUEEN of ENGLAND.

    • Malatete
      May 8, 2013

      Maybe difference is that we are a republic and do not recognise the Queen as our Head of State. I’m sure Sir Brian would have been honoured similarly if we had not made that choice at independence.

      • DLPist
        May 8, 2013

        nonsensical statement because Mamo became DAME M E Charles and we are still republician. The same applies to Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana….these countries have citizens who have been knighted by the Queen since their independence e.g. Sir Shridath Ramphall.

    • Mario
      May 8, 2013

      I have to concur with the views expressed by CHAVINISTICAL WAW!!. It puts this emerging debate into its proper perspective. Let is be said that there is the NATIONAL HONOURS ACT 1998 in Antigua which had been applied to confer unto Hon.Brian Alleyne Acting Chief Justice of the OECS ( as he was then ) with a knighthood; more appropriately referred to as KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED ORDER of the Nation ( Antigua & Barbuda). This was done at the Governor General’s Residence in Antigua on the behest of the Government and people of Antigua on Monday 16th July 2007.
      Let is be said that this KNIGHTHOOD which Sir Brian obtained is materially and substantially different from the one which the Queen of England gives ; to The Chief Justice Pereira which is DAME COMMANDER IN THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE . She was bestowed this accolade for the Administration of justice in the region. I may add that such is conferred unto persons who have been APPOINTED in the office of CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE OECS but Sir Brian had ONLY an acted appointed. His award is not blessed with the same exemplary status as what the QUEEN OF England offers.

      I hope this provides some clarity to this issue.

      • Gary
        May 9, 2013

        Why are we supposed to be surprised by such things.
        The world we live in is operated and Governed with concealment and deception. The three things which affect our lives on a daily basis are all concealed I’m talking about Law, Money and Religion.Why someone given authority to dispense the Law needs to have a Black cloak and why they need to be knighted.

      • George Gros Islet ??
        May 9, 2013

        Are you the St. Lucian?
        Are you like Bryan a former politician
        Are you a benched Parrot?
        Where do you really work
        What are you truly after?
        Do you flirt for favour
        I don’t know why controversial people think that they can push their way to higher office.

    • KNIGHT
      May 8, 2013

      EH BEH LOOK IT I didn’t know all dat..no wander freedom dead and d moo-moo talking lol

  11. worry!
    May 8, 2013

    She should presently decline the award as it would, in the circumstances, convey acceptance by the highest judicial Officer that we are still colonized by the British!

    • INNOCENT
      May 8, 2013

      rubbish

    • Observer
      May 9, 2013

      I knew somebody would come up with some caushionay –

  12. Morihei Ueshiba
    May 8, 2013

    Queen Elizabeth what about skerrit? :mrgreen:

    • Malagraysa
      May 9, 2013

      …Who???

    • Prophet2
      May 11, 2013

      LOL…

  13. Woman
    May 8, 2013

    Congratulations Dame Pereira, proud to be a woman. Wish you success in your endeavours and that you will do everything to take the Justice System which some of us are not satisfied with in the region to a satisfactory level. We really need that in the region. Justice for all.

  14. jahsenger
    May 8, 2013

    we continue to bow to the slave master

    • View Point
      May 8, 2013

      I supppose if the British government had made a sweeping attack on the integrity of the Chief Justice that would be good for you and your kind. You people just cannot see good things. Stop lamenting. See the bright side of things. Everything does not have to be tainted with impropriety. Pure “workers” DNA where only negativity exists. Will the “Optimists Club” of Roseau run a course for “worrkkerrss”!

    • Malagraysa
      May 8, 2013

      Boy, that chip on your shoulder bigger than a gommier tree. Don’t burden yourself, take it off, turn it into a canot and sail to freedom.

  15. Anonymous
    May 8, 2013

    Goes with the appointment. CONGRATULATIONS!You bring great learning integrity and independence to this Office.

    • Lucia
      May 8, 2013

      It doesn’t appear so because the queen never ever knighted Sir Brian Allleyne. I guess he was not appointed and was acting like in holllywood. Maybe if he was appointed he would have gotten that OBE but they say he didn’t have a law degree. I don’t know what that had to do with it?

  16. Precious
    May 8, 2013

    Woman Power, woman is BOSS :-D

    • ldidurt
      May 8, 2013

      and you think you making sense

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