A historic swearing-in ceremony held at King’s House in St Andrew on Thursday brought eight members of Jamaica’s judiciary into new, higher-ranking positions, with Governor General Sir Patrick Allen officiating the formal event.
The batch of appointments includes two acting Judges of Appeal: Justices Lorna Shelly-Williams and Carolyn Tie-Powell will hold their new posts from April 20, 2025 through to July 31, 2026. Two additional full appointments went to Tracey-Ann Johnson and Andrea Martin Swaby, who took office as permanent puisne judges starting April 13.
Completing the lineup of elevated roles, Master Kamar Henry-Anderson and Chester Crooks have been appointed acting puisne judges, while Christine McNeil and Yvette Wentworth-Miller will step into acting positions as Masters in Chambers. All four of these acting appointments will run from April 13 to July 31, 2026. During the ceremony, each of the eight appointees formally completed the required Oath of Allegiance and Judicial Oath to officially take up their new duties.
In his keynote remarks to the newly appointed judicial officers, Governor General Sir Patrick Allen emphasized that the appointments are a direct recognition of the group’s decades of accumulated legal expertise, as well as a clear signal of the Jamaican public and government’s deep trust in their personal integrity and commitment to public service.
He further noted that this round of judicial appointments strengthens Jamaica’s long-standing commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring the fair, unbiased administration of justice across all levels of the court system. “These principles form the bedrock upon which we encourage public confidence in our courts,” Sir Patrick told attendees.
“As you assume your duties, we depend on you to carry your share of the responsibilities in our society. Similarly, we depend on you to uphold this delicate equilibrium, resolute in your independence and unwavering in your commitment to justice, thereby preserving the dignity and integrity of Jamaica’s judiciary,” he added in his closing charge to the new appointees.