Chief Justice to step down in May

Chief Justice Sir Patterson Cheltenham will demit office on May 15.

He confirmed this to the media yesterday, while also indicating that he did not plan to remain in office one day after he completes his term, as he was ready to move on to another phase of his life.

Sir Patterson was appointed Chief Justice in November 2020 at age 71 and during his time in office, has had to work on the resolution of persistent, lingering issues in the justice system.

However, he suggested the tenure for the office of Chief Justice required a longer period than the time he had to serve due to the age at which he took up the position, as the job demanded a lot more than could be done during the time he had.

Speaking on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony for Barbados’ latest High Court judge, Justice Barbara Cooke-Alleyne, Sir Patterson said: “Three-and-a-half years is by any objective standard, way too short. It is really a job in which no one should do it for less than five years and ideally seven.” (GC)