Musical Chairs And The Offshore Judiciary

2018 has already seen a number of important judicial appointments, and retirements, at the courts of the major offshore financial centres. The new appointments, however, contain many familiar names.

Bermuda and the Cayman Islands

In Bermuda, Chief Justice Ian Kawaley and Mr Justice Stephen Hellman have both announced their retirements from the Commercial Court Bench, as of June and July 2018 respectively, after many years of service and hundreds of reported judgments.

Both judges have, however, already accepted part-time positions as Judges of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, with effect from April 2017, and they have each presided over cases in the Cayman Islands in recent months. It is anticipated that they are each likely to accept judicial and arbitral appointments in other jurisdictions, after their retirement from the Bermuda Bench.