Judiciary Bids Farewell to Outgoing Court of Appeal President

Members of the Judiciary said farewell to outgoing President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Patrick Brooks, on Wednesday (July 17) during a special sitting of the court to mark his retirement.

During the sitting, Mr. Brooks, who was appointed Court of Appeal President in 2020, was praised by colleagues and peers for his stellar contributions at various levels of the judicial system.

Mr. Brooks served as a Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court for 10 years, from 2002 to 2012, thereafter moving to the Court of Appeal where he assumed the Presidency in December 2020.

Chief Justice, Hon. Bryan Sykes, in his remarks, lauded Mr. Brooks on his stewardship, hailing him as an exceptional jurist, distinguished leader and dedicated public servant.

He further praised Mr. Brooks for his achievements in overseeing the implementation of the Digital Case Management System (DCMS) and leading the process to significantly reduce court case backlogs.

“The court moved from disposing of 85 cases for every 100 cases coming in to 111, and last year [to] 117 cases being disposed of for every 100 cases coming in. What that means is that the court is on its way to becoming backlog free and current with its case load. He has turned the court into a more efficient institution, which is contributing to national development and the rule of law by bringing disputes to an early, high-quality end,” Mr. Sykes said.

The Chief Justice pointed out that Mr. Brooks represents the first of what is considered a “modern court leader”, noting his commitment to improving the court’s performance during his tenure.

“He fully embraced the idea that courts are legal service providers, which should be efficient, courteous and full participants in the cycle of continuous improvement. His leadership of the court reflected the principles of results-based management, namely planning, monitoring, learning, and evaluating to achieve measurable objective results. The productivity of the court increased significantly,” Mr. Sykes stated.

He noted that Justice Brooks’ efforts also led to a significant shortening of the timeline between the hearing and disposal of appeals to under six months, which has now become the standard in the Court of Appeal.

Mr. Brooks, in his response, thanked his colleagues and family for their support throughout his distinguished career.

“Thanks to you all for the very kind words and… all the best wishes that you have extended to me,” he expressed.

Among the colleagues Mr. Brooks highlighted was Justice Marsha McDonald Bishop, who will succeed him and in whose ability he expressed confidence to lead the Court.

“[She] will have the honour of being the first female President of the Court of Appeal who is appointed in that post and not acting. The appointment will be well deserved,” Justice Brooks said.