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The Court of Appeal

What is The Court of Appeal?

The Court of Appeal was created in 1961 and sits about six times each year, each lasting a week. The Court therefore sits every two months.

The Judges of the Court of Appeal comprise the Bailiff and Deputy Bailiff, plus a number of King's Counsel from the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

The legislation governing the Jersey Court of Appeal is the Court of Appeal (Jersey) Law 1961 as amended which came into force in 1964.

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is the court of last resort in appeals from the Court of Appeal.

Judgments

A considerable effort is made to deliver judgments during the sessions but that is not always achievable.

Range of cases

The range of work which comes before the Court of Appeal is extremely varied. In the first place there is the sort of work one would expect from a community with the population of the Island. At most sittings there will be one or more criminal appeals and each panel of judges therefore usually includes one specialist in criminal law. On the civil side there will be cases involving the tort, contract, judicial review, family law etc.

From time to time there will be cases where customary law principles will feature, particularly when concerned with a property law dispute. In addition to this line of work, there are cases which arise out of the position of the Island as an international finance centre. Thus there will be potentially complex cases involving the law of trusts, companies, banking, bankruptcy, tracing of assets, conflict of laws, etc.

Proceedings

The Judicial Greffe is responsible for all administrative arrangements for the Court of Appeal, including providing advice on court procedures for those wishing to bring an appeal.

Appeal Court Judges

  • Clare Montgomery K.C.
  • Jonathan Crow CVO, K.C.
  • Lord Anderson of Ipswich, KBE K.C
  • David Perry, K.C.
  • Sir William Bailhache
  • Helen Mountfield K.C.
  • Jeremy Storey K.C.
  • The Rt Hon W James Wolffe K.C.
  • Sir Richard James McMahon, Bailiff of Guernsey
  • Paul Bernard Matthews KC
  • Michael James Furness
  • Sir Adrian Fulford