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2011 Annual General Meeting

2011-12-09T17:58:00.903Z

The Bar Association of Seychelles held its 2011 Annual General Meeting earlier today at the premises of the Supreme Court of Seychelles. A number of issues were raised by members of the bar, such as amendments to the rules of the association governing membership, the implementation of a code of ethics and the threat to the rule of law in the country.

One of the key highlights of the meeting were the elections of the Management Committee. The members re-elected the entire Management Committee to serve another term. In particular, Mr Antony Derjacques will now serve a third consecutive term as Chairman, Mr Divino Sabino was also re-elected as Secretary and will serve a third consecutive term, Miss Teresa Micock was re-elected to a second consecutive term as Treasurer and Messrs Frank Ally & Elvis Chetty were re-elected as Executive Committee Members.

The Bar Association of Seychelles would like to thank the Judiciary for providing the venue for the meeting and Ernst & Young (Seychelles) for auditing the association's accounts.

Francis Chang-Sam awarded Senior Counsel title

2011-11-26T17:54:58.311Z

The Bar Association of Seychelles ("BAS") held its 2011 Dinner at the Wharf Hotel & Marina on November 25, 2011. The dinner was held in honour of Mr Francis Chang-Sam, who was awarded with the Senior Counsel title.

Mr Francis Chang-Sam, SC

Over 60 distinguished guests, including Chief Justice Fredrick-Egonda Ntende, President of the Court of Appeal Mr Francis MacGregor, Justices of Appeal, Judges of the Supreme Court, Magistrates, State Couunsel and Attorneys-at-Law, gathered at the Wharf for the momentus occassion, in the opening speech, Mr Divino Sabino, the Secretary of BAS stated that the Senior Counsel title is bestowed by BAS on only the most accomplished of attorneys, in particular, attorneys with over 20 years experience at the bar and who have made significant contributions to Seychelles jurisprudence.

Mr Divino Sabino, Secretary of the Bar Association & Mr Bernard Georges, MC of the 2011 Bar Association Dinner

In his speech, Chief Justice Egonda-Ntende congratulated Mr Chang-Sam on his appointment as Senior Counsel and also thanked members of the bar who have been willing to work with him since his appointment as Chief Justice in 2009.

In honour of Mr Chang-Sam, Mr Frank Ally, who did his pupillage under Mr Chang-Sam, stated that Mr Chang-Sam is one of the most hardworking lawyers around and he appreciated Mr Chang-Sam's open door policy towards his juniors, Mr Ally included, who would often seek his advice and counsel. Mr Ally stated that Mr Chang-Sam is also probably the first Seychellois to obtain a law degree (from the London School of Economics), and that he was called to the bar at Gray's Inn. Mr Ally also mentioned his and Mr Chang-Sam's Praslinois roots and traced Mr Chang-Sam's career from a State Counsel, Principal Legal Draftsman, Registrar General, Attorney General and then his opening of his own private law chambers.

Mr Chang-Sam thanked the Bar Association for the honour and thanked his wife, Mercedes, in particular, stating that she was his anchor.

The MC for the night was Mr Bernard Georges a Barrister of Gray's Inn, pointed out the Mr Chang-Sam is the first Gray's Inn Barrister to be bestowed with the Senior Counsel title. There are only 3 other Senior Counsel, Mr Ramnikal Valabhji, SC was called at Lincoln's Inn and Messrs Pesi Pardiwalla, SC and Kieran Shah, SC were called at Middle Temple. To date, no one from Inner Temple has been awarded with the Senior Counsel title. The vast majority of Seychelles attorneys studied in the UK and were called to the bar by one of the four Inns of Court.

First Meeting of the Civil Justice Working Group

2011-11-26T15:48:12.101Z

As per Chief Justice Egonda-Ntende's announcement in September 2011 during his speech heralding the opening of the Supreme Court term, the Civil Justice Working Group met at the premises of the Supreme Court on November 8, 2011.

Present at the meeting were Chief Justice Mr Fredrick Egonda-Ntende, Judge Mr Durai Karunakaran, Senior Magistrate Mrs Samia Govinden, State Counsel Mr Chinnasamy Jayaraj & Mr David Esparon and from the private bar - Mr Pesi Pardiwalla SC, Mr Francis Chang-Sam, Mr John Renaud & Mr Divino Sabino, representing the Bar Association of Seychelles.

The aim of the working group is to look into ways to expedite civil litigation and the conduct of cases. One of the working groups key aspirations is to help create the right investment climate in the country.

The working group discussed the creation of more court rules on specific areas of the law and on the creation of new civil procedure rules for both the Supreme Court and the Magistrates Court, possibly even that of unified rules.

The working group also called on the members of the bar to make general or specific proposals on improving upon areas of the civil justice system. The working group is expected to meet at the end of each month from January 2012 onwards. It is hoped that proposals from the bar are received prior to its next meeting at the end of January 2012.

Meeting of Criminal Justice Stakeholders Committee

2011-11-26T15:04:36.865Z

The Criminal Justice Stakeholders Committee met at the premises of the Supreme Court on October 19, 2011. Inter alia, the Group comprised of Chief Justice Mr Fredrick Egonda-Ntende, the Commissioner of Police Mr Ernest Quatre, the Senior Magistrate Mrs Samia Govinden, Mr Nichol Gabriel as a member of the Human Rights Commission, Mr David Esparon from the Attorney General's Chambers and Mr Elvis Chetty represented the Bar Association of Seychelles.

The group aims to look at ways to improve on the speed and efficiency of the Criminal Justice System. In the meeting, discussions focused on the difficulties concerning the service of summons by the police and whether this process should be privatized. Also discussed were a number of criminal cases in which the victims seems to have lost interest with the case and are now unwilling to give oral evidence in court, thought was given as to whether the Attorney General should consider withdrawing these cases, which could help clear up the court's time.

One of the main issues discussed was that of Legal Aid reform as proposed by the Chief Justice during his speech at the opening of the Supreme Court last September. The proposal centres on the elimination of the current legal aid regime in which a lawyer is paid by the number of appearances in court, leading certain lawyers to apparently deliberately prolong a case so that they could earn more fees. The new proposal would set a fixed fee for a particular case, regardless of the number of court appearances. It is hoped that the implementation of the proposed new legal aid scheme would help speed up the disposal of criminal cases.

Zhejiang Provincial Lawyers Association calls upon the Bar Association of Seychelles

2011-10-22T19:10:39.929Z

Meeting Between Executive Members of the Associations

Executive Members of the Zhejiang Provincial Lawyers Association of the Zhejiang Province of the People's Republic of China called upon the Bar Association of Seychelles ("BAS") on the 13th of October 2011. The Zhejiang delegation comprised of Mr Dang Yiheng (Vice President), Mr Wu Qiangjun (Consultant), Mr Yu Baisheng (Vice Secretary) & Mr Wang Jin (Partner of Zhejiang Junan Century Law Firm). The Bar Association of Seychelles was represented by Mr Divino Sabino (Secretary), Ms Teresa Micock (Treasurer) & Mr Frank Ally (Executive Member).

From left to right: Mr Yu Baisheng, Mr Wu Qiangjun, Mr Dang Yiheng & Mr Wang Jin.

Executive members of both associations spoke of their roles within their respective countries and legal systems and prayed that this initial contact would be the start of a long lasting and mutually beneficial relationship between the members of both of their associations.

Mr Dang Yiheng, the Vice President of the Zhejiang Provincial Lawyers Association presenting Mr Divino Sabino, the Secretary of BAS with a present from Zhejiang.

The Zhejiang delegation stated that there were some 930 law entities in the Zhejiang Province, of which around 650 were partnerships and around 270 were sole practitioners, this was in contrast to the Seychelles which has 2 partnerships and around 30 sole practitioners. It was also interesting to note that Zhejiang had around 10,000 lawyers for a population of 60 million people and that Seychelles has around 50 lawyers for a population of 90 thousand. This means that there is 1 lawyer in Zhejiang per 6,000, whilst in Seychelles there is 1 lawyer for every 1,800 persons.

The meeting was held at the law firm of Pardiwalla Twomey Lablache.

Training Workshop on Prosecuting and Adjudicating Money Laundering Cases

2011-10-13T19:21:25.983Z

The Office of the Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles, in conjunction with the World Bank held a training workshop from the 26th to 28th September 2011 at the STC Conference Hall. Amidst dignitaries and distinguished guests, the Honourable Vice President Mr Danny Faure delivered the opening remarks, stressing the need for the country to continue to tackle money laundering issues.

After the opening session, World Bank experts on prosecuting money laundering offences gave detailed lectures on the international regime, standards and institutions involved in the fight against money laundering. Delivering the initial lecture, Mr Yves Aeschlimann, Senior Financial Sector Specialist of the World Bank, stressed that battling money laundering is also a fight against criminal activity in general and the funding of terrorism.

The World Bank's Mr Jean-Pierre Brun & Mr Yves Aeschlimann addressing the participants

Thereafter, Mr Jean-Pierre Brun, Senior Financial Specialist of the World Bank delivered a lecture on the particulars and elements of the money laundering offence, introducing participants to the international initiatives to combat money laundering and the need for international cooperation amongst the various local agencies.

There was also a presentation by Ms Beatrice Hamza Bassey of the New York law firm of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLC, the firm who represented the Government of Seychelles and its employees and agents in the lawsuits filed before the New York courts by parties that were prosecuted/pursued in Seychelles for money laundering related offences, on the probable reasons (on grounds of inconvenient/improper forum) why the lawsuits were voluntarily withdrawn by the claimants against the Government of Seychelles. The presentation also touched upon the US Alien Tort Act, which is the piece of law used by the claimants to bring a lawsuit in the US.

Mr Declan Barber, Deputy Director of the FIU also provided a lecture on the legal framework of Seychelles' anti-money laundering laws and presented noteworthy cases that the FIU has successfully dealt with, from suspected drug dealers to international gangs involved in mass scaleboiler plate scams to international arms trafficking.

Participants at the workshop comprised of officers and senior staff of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the Central Bank, the Ministry of Finance, the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA) , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Counsel from the Attorney General's Office and lawyers from the private bar. The rest of workshop dealt with specific issues that FIU investigating officers, Prosecutors and Judges are likely to encounter in the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of money laundering cases.

It is hoped that the workshop will increase the knowledge base of the relevant parties involved in tackling money laundering offences in the country.

Workshop on Civil Case Management

2011-09-09T21:14:37.931Z

The Seychelles Judiciary, with the Support of the Commonwealth Institute, organized a 2-day workshop on the 5th and 6th September at the International Conference Centre of Seychelles. The workshop was attended by members of the judiciary, the Attorney General's Office and members of the private bar. In his opening speech, Chief Justice Fredrick Egonda-Ntende summed up the purpose of the workshop as a forum to provoke discussion on the way forward for the judiciary with particular regards to the inherent delays in the civil justice system.

Master John Wheeler of the Royal Court of Jersey, Chief Justice Egonda-Ntende of the Supreme Court of Seychelles & Mr Mark Guthrie of the Commonwealth Institute

Representing the Commonwealth Institute and co-ordinating the workshop was Mr Mark Guthrie. While the Master of the Royal Court of Jersey, Master John Wheeler, was brought in by the Commonwealth Institute to share his experiences with regards to judicial reform, especially given the fact that Jersey went through certain reforms in the relatively recent past.

Master John Wheeler

Several issues were discussed and members of the bar were attracted to the practice of cases being managed by a Master which will set a case before a judge only when the matter was fit for hearing, instead of the current practice in which Judges of the Supreme Court handle a number of mentions/preliminary hearings on any given day.

Master John Wheeler addressing the workshop delegates

However, by far the most interesting topic of the workshop was that of Alternative Dispute Resolution ("ADR"). A judge of the Supreme Court expressed the view that given the number of cases being filed in court and the current number of judges, a judge would have to dispose of cases at the rate of 1 case per working day in order just to maintain their case load. The answer must therefore lie in ADR to relieve the pressure off the Supreme Court. In particular, a lot of interest for mediation was expressed and the judiciary and the bar all agreed that the civil process will have to formally cater for mediation and that there must be formal training given to members of the bar to produce professionally qualified mediators.

Justice Hodoul Resigns

2011-08-22T05:59:12.346Z

The Office of the President announced that Justice Jacques Hodoul of the Court of Appeal, tendered his resignation from the bench on the 19th August 2011.

Justice Hodoul was called to the Bar at the Honourable Society of Middle Temple in 1973. He practised law in Seychelles up to 1977 before taking up Ministerial positions in the Government of Seychelles. He returned to practising law in 1993 before being elevated to the Court of Appeal bench in 2005.

Judge Shaun Lyons meets with Members of the Seychelles Bar

2011-08-03T08:32:34.993Z

Judge Shaun Lyons, CBE, of the Wood Green Crown Court in UK, met with members of the Seychelles Bar on Tuesday, 2nd August 2011. Judge Lyons is in Seychelles on the invitation of Chief Justice Egonda-Ntende with a view to improving the capacity of our courts criminal justice system.

His Hon Judge Shaun Lyons, CBE

In his meeting with the members of the Seychelles bar, Judge Lyons sought input from Seychelles lawyers on their belief for the causes of the difficulties encountered by the Seychelles' criminal justice system and he also sought the views of the bar on proposals for reform.

Judge Lyons pointed out that there appears to be a culture of adjournment in Seychelles and that there is no wasted costs regime to penalise parties unprepared for trial on the trial date. He pointed out that there must be trial date certainty but expressed surprise at how in a country of 80,000, it is so difficult to serve witnesses with summons when in London, with a population of 7 million, they manage to do so.

Members of the Seychelles Bar

He pointed out that there are too many "mentions" before judges and that in the Wood Green Crown Court, judges generally hear cases from the get go rather than spend a lot of time dealing with mentions as is the case here. He proposed that a single judge (or a Master) could deal with all mentions, motions and interlocutory matters and then then when a case is ripe for hearing it is then that it is allocated to a judge.

Members of the bar found the meeting useful and hope that some of the views expressed in the meeting will come to fruition.

Sensitising the Public on the Role of the Courts

2011-07-27T10:13:30.333Z

The Judiciary in collaboration with UNDP has released a document providing the public with information on the role of the courts. It is hoped that the document will aid in dealing with misconceptions that members of the public may have about the role of the courts and Judges.

Document on the Role of the Courts

The document provides flow charts to illustrate the general litigation process in criminal and civil cases and also sets out hierarchy of courts and tribunals in the Seychelles Legal System. The documents are available from the judiciary.

Bar Association Withdraws Participation from Committee

2011-07-05T19:27:53.225Z

The Bar Association of Seychelles ("BAS") has withdrawn from its participation in the Consultative Law Committee that was to look into reviewing company law legislation and other commercial pieces of legislation.

Mr Conrad Lablache resigned from the committee after the first session held on the 8th June 2011, citing that the Ministry of Finance's representative, who chaired the meeting, sought to impose substantially the same Companies Bill 2011 that was circulated earlier this year, on the consultative committee as a fait accompli. This is the same Bill that caused widespread dissapproval from members of the bar. This was contrary to the inference that the committee was to commence its deliberations with a view to amending the current Companies Act 1972. Thereafter, BAS Chairman Mr Antony Derjacques wrote to the Attorney General stating that this Bill, if passed, will cause immeasurable harm to the country and reiterated BAS' position that genuine consultations should be held on the matter.

Judiciary Meets With Members of the Bar

2011-07-05T19:45:07.733Z

Chief Justice Egonda-Ntende and Registrar Jude Bonte met with members of the Bar on the 30th April 2011. The meeting was the initiative of the Chief Justice and was called so that court advocates could directly address the Chief Justice about their concerns with respect to the running of the Judiciary.

Chief Justice Egonda-Ntende & Registrar Jude Bonte

The Chief Justice commented that this was the first time that he met with the general members of the bar instead of the Management Committee of the Bar Association, of which he has had several meetings with. In fact, it might be the first time that a Chief Justice has sought to meet with the general members of the bar. He emphasized the desire to hasten the court process, the need for attorneys to act more diligently and the neccessity for a continuing education programme for both members of the bar and the bench.

Attorneys-at-Law, State Counsel & Pupils at the meeting

Members of the bar raised a number of issues of concern. Many were concerned about the issue of pupillage. In particular the lack of formal rules with regards to pupillage. All agreed that the Draft Pupillage Guide would be a starting point for the judiciary to put in place secondary legislation on the matter. Members of the bar raised concerns about legal practitioners and licensing requirements. There were also concerns raised about a Legal Practitioners Bill

going into circulation despite the fact that the most affected parties, being the Judiciary, the Attorneys-at-Law and State Counsel were not consulted prior to its drafting and circulation.

Bar Association appoints its members onto key committees

2011-05-20T04:11:10.720Z

The Bar Association, on the request of the Government, has appointed its members onto key committees set up by the Government.

Mr Conrad Lablache has been appointed to a Consultative Law Committee that will make recommendations regarding possible reform to the country's Companies Act, International Corporate Service Providers Act, International Trusts Act and the Foundations Act amongst many other business/commercial related pieces of legislation.

Miss Teresa Micock has been appointed to the Humanitatian Law Committee, which will look into the legal framework of Seychelles' humanitarian related laws, policies and practices.

Bar Association attends Human Rights workshop in Madagascar

2011-05-20T04:06:54.906Z

On 21^st-23^rd March 2011, the COI hosted a regional workshop aimed at increasing the availability of legal representation for people living with HIV/AIDS. Held in Antananarivo, Madagascar, it was the first time that legal professionals from the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles met to discuss the position of their countries vis-à-vis protection of human rights for people living with HIV/AIDS. Members of both the private bar and state law officials attended. BAS was represented by Mrs Alexia Amesbury and Miss Teresa Micock, and Miss Sylvie Pool participated on behalf of the Attorney General’s Office. The following matters were discussed and each country made commitments to improve their country’s protection of the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.

1. Global declarations of Human rights

2. Laws in relation to most at risk populations (sex workers, men who have sex with men, children, women, intravenous drug users and people in prison)

3. Criminalization of HIV/AIDS

4. Confidentiality

5. Legal frameworks established in participating states with the specific aim at protecting the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.

ILO Workshop on Review of Employment Laws

2011-03-31T06:45:43.417Z

The Employment Department in conjunction with the International Labour Organization held a workshop on the 9th of March 2011 at the STC Conference Centre. The aim of the workshop was to review the current employment laws in Seychelles with a view to curing defects or inadequacies with the current laws and aligning Seychelles' employment laws with international best practices.

Mrs Marina Confait, Principal Secretary of the Employment Department gave the opening speech and this was followed by presentations from numerous stakeholders, which were followed with general discussions.

Present at the workshop delegates from the Employment Department, staff of the Employment Tribunal, representatives from the Seychelles Federation of Workers Union, representatives of the employers' association, members of the legislature, members of the Bar Association of Seychelles and an international labour law expert in the form of the ILO's Angelika Muller.

The Bar Association of Seychelles was impressed in the manner in which the exercise of proposing law reform was carried out by the Employment Department, especially given the exclusive approach adopted vis a vis proposed reforms of the companies, trusts and International Corporate Service Provider laws (see previous entries below).

In a letter to the Ministry in charge of the Employment Department, the Bar Association of Seychelles stated:

"We are particularly impressed about the manner in which your Ministry sought to go about the employment law reform process, especially with regards to the fact that numerous stakeholders were engaged and consulted. Also noteworthy was the presence of and input from an ILO labour law expert who was appreciative of the local views and the national context."

It is expected that a new Employment Act will be drafted and enacted in the coming year.

Mathilda Twomey to be appointed as Justice of Appeal

2011-03-18T07:20:21.915Z

The local media announced yesterday (17 March) that the President has approved the appointment of Mrs Mathilda Twomey (née Butler-Payette) as a Justice of the Court of Appeal.

Mrs Twomey read for her bachelor's degree in law at University of Kent, a programme which involved a period of study in France on French Law. Mrs Twomey was then called to bar of England and Wales.

She started her legal career in 1987 as a Government lawyer at the Attorney General's Office, rising to the rank of Senior State Counsel and taking on the role of the Official Notary. Thereafter, she practiced as an Attorney-at-Law with former Attorney General Pesi Pardiwalla SC in the law firm of Pardiwalla Twomey (now Pardiwalla Twomey Lablache). In 1995, she put her wig and gown aside and moved to Ireland.

The Bar Association of Seychelles welcomes the news of her appointment. It is the Bar Association's position that Judges and Justices should be appointed from lawyers with considerable litigation experience and should preferably be Seychellois. Criteria that Mrs Twomey fulfills.

Position of the Bar Association of Seychelles on the Proposed Trust Bill, 2011

2011-02-25T18:12:10.176Z

In line with public requests for comments on the proposed Trusts Bill 2011 and its white paper as presented on the SIBA website (also available below for download), the Bar Association of Seychelles presented its views to the Ministry of Finance in the letter below (click on image to view).

Position of the Bar Association of Seychelles on the Proposed Companies Bill 2011

2011-02-22T06:39:44.070Z

In line with public request from the Ministry of Finance and SIBA on a proposed Companies Bill 2011 (which you may download from the SIBA website or below), the Bar Association of Seychelles presented its views to the Ministry of Finance in the letter below (click on image to view).

Bar Association welcomes publication on Seychelles cases

2010-11-16T09:46:26.392Z

The Bar Association of Seychelles welcomes the publication of the latest addition to the limited array of Seychelles Law Books: "Leading Cases of Seychelles 1988-2010" is a compilation of the more noteworthy decisions of the Seychelles Court of Appeal from 1988 to 2010. Instead of reproducing whole judgments, a summary of the ratio and key orbiter of the decisions of the highest court of the land are given.

The book's editorial team was headed by Professor A H Angelo of Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, and the foreword was written by none other than the President of the Seychelles Court of Appeal, the Honourable Justice Francis MacGregor.

2010 Annual General Meeting

2010-10-06T16:12:46.977Z

The 2010 Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of the Bar Association of Seychelles ("BAS") was held this evening at the premises of the Supreme Court. Members of the Association re-elected Mr Antony Derjacques as the Chairman, who promised to continue the work of increasing BAS' profile and to continue to improve upon working relationships with local stakeholders. Mr Derjacques pointed out that under his stewardship, BAS set up its website and that there has been a rapprochement between the judiciary and BAS, who meet formally at least every 3 months.

Mr Divino Sabino was re-elected as the Secretary, Ms Teresa Micock was elected as the Treasurer and both Messrs Frank Ally and Elvis Chetty were re-elected as Executive Officers of the streamlined Management Committee.

Judiciary Launches Code of Conduct for Judges and Strategic Plan

2010-07-28T16:08:06.557Z

On the 22nd July 2010, at the STC Conference Room, before numerous distinguished guests, the Judiciary, through the Chief Justice Egonda-Ntende and the Registrar Jude Bonte, launched two documents, "The Seychelles Code of Judicial Conduct" and the Judiciary's "Strategic Plan 2010-2014".

The Seychelles Code of Judicial Conduct is a document in which all Justices of Appeal, Judges, Masters, Magistrates, Registrars and any other person exercising judicial authority has undertaken to abide by. It enshrines the principles of Independence, Impartiality, Integrity, Propriety, Equality (before the law), Competence and Diligence.

The Judiciary's Strategic Plan 2010-2014 is a roadmap which the Judiciary seeks to follow in order to achieve its aim in becoming a centre of judicial excellence. The Plan was developed through a workshop held earlier in the year in which various stakeholders were given the opportunity to present their misgivings and suggestions in how the judiciary may be improved upon. For example, the document outlines the need for the judiciary to streamline court processes and upgrade its basic infrastructure. It also states that the judiciary should be given greater financial autonomy from the executive.

The Judiciary thanked the UNDP for their generous support in the above endeavours.

New Registrar Appointed

2010-04-13T07:00:48.677Z

Mr Jude Bonte has been appointed as the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Seychelles. The Registrar of the Supreme Court is in charge of the day to day administration of the courts.

Prior to his appointment, Mr Bonte was a practicing Attorney-at-Law and Notary. Previously, he also served as a State Counsel at the Attorney General's Chambers and as the Compliance and Corporate Services Manager at the Seychelles International Business Authority.

Mr Bonte completed his legal education in the United Kingdom, where he obtained a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and where he successfully completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC).

Bar Association hosts reception for members of the Mauritian Judiciary

2010-05-01T21:03:01.690Z

Chief Justice of Mauritius Yeung Sik Yuen & Bar Association Chairman Derjacques

The Bar Association of Seychelles hosted a reception for the members of the Mauritian Judiciary who visited Seychelles as part of an exchange programme with the Seychelles Judiciary. The reception was held at the Sunset Beach Hotel on the 15th April 2010.

Present at the reception were the Chief Justice of the Mauritian Supreme Court YKJ Yeung Sik Yuen, Puisne Judge P Lam Shang Leen, the Deputy Master and Registrar and Judge in Bankruptcy P Fekna and the President of the Intermediate Court JBG Marie-Joseph. Members of the Seychelles Judiciary were led by Chief Justice FMS Egonda-Ntende and the President of the Court of Appeal F MacGregor. Present from the Bar were the Attorney General R Govinden, the Chairman of the Bar Association Antony Derjacques and several members of the Bar Association's Management Committee.

Mr Derjacques addressed the distinguished guests and spoke about the historical ties of Seychelles and Mauritius and the possibility of exchange programmes between the associations of legal practitioners of both countries, on his part the Chief Justice of Mauritius Yeung Sik Yeung remarked on the benefits of such exchange programmes, by forging friendships and learning from one another.

The Chief Justice of Mauritius Yeung Sik Yuen and the Chief Justice of Seychelles Egonda-Ntende

Latest Constitutional Appointments

2010-02-11T19:27:08.578Z

It has been announced that Gustave Dodin has been appointed as a Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of Seychelles. Mr Dodin had been serving as the Ombudsman. He also served as the Registrar General and as a State Counsel. Mr Dodin completed his LLB at the University of East London and has an LLM in Maritime Law from the University of Malta. He completed the Seychelles Bar Exams.

Ms Dora Zatte has been appointed as the new Ombudsman, effective from the 15th February. Ms Zatte is an Attorney-at-Law and Notary and served previously as a State Counsel. She has an LLB from the University of East Anglia and is a Barrister of Middle Temple.

New Magistrate Appointed

2010-01-18T06:21:57.673Z

Mr Kishna Labonte was appointed as a Magistrate before Chief Justice Egonda-Ntende on the 14th January 2010.

Until then, Mr Labonte served as a State Counsel at the Attorney General's Office.

Mr Labonte was a member of the Seychelles Police Force for 28 years before embarking on his law studies. He completed his law degree through the University of London External system. He also completed the Seychelles Bar Exams.

He will serve as the new Victoria "D" Court Magistrate.

Secretary's Address on Launch of Website

2009-12-10T16:34:46.265Z

December 10, 2009

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Welcome to the website of the Bar Association of Seychelles!

The idea for a website was hatched several years ago, but for a myriad of reasons, the idea never materialized. However, recent advancements in information technology and the advent of younger and more IT savvy members of the bar brought momentum to the realization of this website.

The present Management Committee of the Bar Association was elected in February 2009, from the very start it was a key aspiration of the committee to set up a website before the end of the year. In mid 2009 the committee resolved to delegate the task of setting up the website to Mr Jude Bonte and myself. Through hard work and dedication, we managed to get the website online and running before the end of October 2009.

The website aims to deliver to the public information on the Seychelles legal profession and on the Seychelles legal system. Under the website's heading of Legal Practitioners you will find information of the various legal officers that may be encountered within the legal profession. You will also find a complete list of Attorneys, Notaries, State Counsel and Public Prosecutors of Seychelles. For budding lawyers, you will also find information on how to qualify as a Seychelles attorney.

Under the heading of Seychelles Legal System you will find a brief round-up on the unique mixed jurisdiction legal system that we have inherited, a melange of legal principles emanating from our past colonial masters - the French and the British.

Perhaps the most significant section on this website is that of the Law Journal. The Bar Association of Seychelles wishes to promote and encourage legal thought, analysis and argument, presently, there is no forum for this except through the courts, even then, the legal issues in question are limited to the disputes that litigants have brought before the courts. This website shall have no such restrictions. Anyone may contribute legal articles to this website, be it legal professionals, members of the bench, budding lawyers or the man on the bus to Clapham.

We hope that the public finds this website an invaluable online legal resource.

Divino Sabino

Secretary

Bar Association of Seychelles