Come September 1, 2023, Dominica will have a new resident Judge namely, Justice Colin Williams.
After serving as a High Court Judge in Antigua and Barbuda for just over two years, Justice Williams has been appointed to the Commonwealth of Dominica to serve as the head of the country’s criminal division.
His appointment comes as a response to the need for a permanent criminal Judge in Dominica, following the retirement of Justice Richard Floyd in April 2023, due to health reasons.
Subsequent to Justice Floyd’s retirement, Justice Thomas W.R. Astaphan served in this position for the past three and a half months which came to an end on July 21, 2023, at the close of the criminal assizes for the High Court.
Justice Williams was the former Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines from 2003 until his departure in 2018 to take up a post as High Court Judge in Belize.
Thereafter, he was appointed to the position of High Court Judge in Antigua and Barbuda during which time he adjudicated over a number of high-profile cases including the Mikhail Gomes trial, the Bruce Greenaway matter, the Linsome Boyd murder case, former ABLP minister Michael Browne’s serious crime case, and the just-concluded murder case of Kenworth Charles.
He was also the judge in charge of hearing the corruption scandal case involving former UPP ministers Harold Lovell, Wilmoth Daniel, and Dr Jacqui Quinn.
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My only hope is that he is not tainted by the corrupt Politicians running our government.
It was not too long ago that we the citizens of the region revered our judicial system. We respected our judges, magistrates and the court system so much that we considered them to be sacred.
Today, justice is being sidestepped. The court is no longer considered to be a trusted arbitrator. Let us all hope that the presence and decisions of Justice Colin Williams will restore our confidence in this once hallowed institution.
@ Ibo France, the court will only be a trusted arbitrator when it gives the decisions that suits your political preference. Unfortunately for that’s not how the world works.
Let’s hope that he stays well away from the CM. We all know how ‘persuasive’ Mr. Dimples can be.