NAUGHTY JUDGES

Just back from Turkey where appeal courts fine judges who get it wrong and where a politically charged supreme court is threatening to force a general election by striking down all of the Govt's legislation (I kid thee not).....

See this for example -  Judges slam Haberal decision, prepare to appeal compensation ruling

.............Slightly closer to home it seems that another colonial judge may have been misbehaving: following hot on the heels of the case of the now dismissed Chief Justice of Gibraltar

the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is going to be detained this week in 4 days of argument from a Judge of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands  (Levers J) whom a tripartite tribunal has already recommended to be removed from office for misconduct.  My  favourite charge against the Judge is this:


  In R v Irvalyn Bush, in which the defendant was charged with possession of a gun,  Levers J sent for counsel and told them that during the short adjournment she had visited the crime scene and formed the view that the gun might have been planted.  Neither the evidence nor the defence supported that view.  When Crown Counsel intimated that she would apply to the judge to recuse herself, Levers J gave an assurance that she would not raise 'planting' before the jury.  Nevertheless in her summing-up she deliberately did so.  


The full Tribunal report is here.


The JCPC will decide whether to confirm the Tribunal's recommendation or not.