The Courts of Bermuda will hold a Special Sitting for a farewell ceremony for President of the Court of Appeal Sir Christopher Clarke, who will be retiring from the Court of Appeal early next year.

The Special Sitting will be his last appearance in the Court of Appeal in Bermuda.  The Special Sitting will be at 3:30 p.m. in Court 1 on Thursday, 20 November in the Dame Lois Browne-Evans Building.

Sir Christopher joined the Bermuda Court of Appeal in 2016 and was appointed as the President of the Court of Appeal in November 2018.

His Excellency, the Governor, Mr Andrew Murdoch CMG, will be in attendance along with the Justices of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Justice, the Puisne Judges of the Supreme Court and the Magistrates.

 A number of the judicial and legal fraternity will address the Court after which Sir Christopher will address the Court and the later adjourn his final appearance in Bermuda.

Sir Christopher was called to the Bar in the Middle Temple in London in 1969. In 1991 he became a Bencher and in 2016 was Treasurer of the Inn. In 1975 he became an Attorney of the Supreme Court of the Turks & Caicos Islands.

In 1984 he was appointed as a Queen’s Counsel. From 1988-2004 he was a Recorder (a part time criminal judge) and a Deputy High Court Judge from 1993-2004.

From 1990 – 2004 he was the Head of Brick Court Chambers. From 1988-1991 he was a Councillor of the International Bar Association and from 1993-4 Chairman of the English Commercial Bar Association.

He was a Judge of the Courts of Appeal of Jersey and Guernsey from 1998 to 2004. For the same period, he was Counsel to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.

He has appeared as counsel and sat as an arbitrator in many Marine and Commercial arbitrations.

The Speakers who will address the Court are as follows:

Mrs. Shakira Dill-Francois, Solicitor General

Ms. Cindy Clarke, Director of Public Prosecutions

Ms. Kehinde George, President of Bermuda Bar

Ms. Susan Mulligan, Senior Legal Aid Counsel

Mr. Rod Attride-Stirling, Civil/Commercial Bar

Mr. Audley Quallo, Former Court of Appeal Clerk

The Hon. Mrs. Shade Subair Williams, Puisne Judge

RT. Hon. Sir Anthony Smellie, Justice of Appeal

Hon. Mr. Narinder K. Hargun, Justice of Appeal

RT. Hon. Dame Elizabeth Gloster, Justice of Appeal

The Hon. Mr. Larry Mussenden, Chief Justice

RT. Hon. Sir Christopher Clarke, President of the Court of Appeal

The public may follow the proceedings live on the Government of Bermuda Facebook page, the CITV television channel, and the CITV Bermuda YouTube channel.