Joan Sawyer

Dame Joan Augusta Sawyer, DBE, PC (b. 26 November 1940) is a Bahamian judge. She was Chief Justice of the Bahamas from 1996 to 2001 and President of the Court of Appeal of the Bahamas from 2001 to 2010. She was the first woman to ever serve in those two positions.[1]

Career

As a member of the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn Sawyer was called to the English Bar on 19 July 1973 and to the Bahamas Bar two months later. Her career began in 1958 as a clerk-trainee at what is now the Ministry of Public Works.[1] She was named a Justice of the Supreme Court of the Bahamas on 6 May 1988, and served in that position until 30 June 1995. She returned to the bench on 1 November 1996 as Chief Justice, where she sat until 26 November 2001.[2] She then became President of the Court of Appeal; she retired from that position on 26 November 2010, and was succeeded by Anita Allen, the second woman to hold the job.[3][4]

She is a member of the Indian Council of Jurists.[5]

Personal life and education

Sawyer was born in George Town, Exuma, The Bahamas. She received her early education at the George Town Public School, Government High School, Aquinas College and the Government High School Evening Institute. She did her LL.B. at the University of London, and then went on to The College of Law in 1970. She was married to the late Geoffrey Sawyer; they had one son, Samuel Anthony Sawyer.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Dame Joan Augusta Sawyer DBE, PC". Commonwealth Secretariat. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  2. "Former Justices of the Supreme Court". Supreme Court of the Bahamas. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  3. "Madam President Dame Joan Sawyer to retire as President of the Court of Appeal". Bahamas Local. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  4. Vedrine, Betty (2010-11-30). "Justice Anita Allen Sworn in as President of Court of Appeal". The Bahamas Weekly. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  5. "List of Judges". Indian Council of Jurists. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
Legal offices
Preceded by
Cyril S. S. Fountain
Chief Justice of the Bahamas
1996–2001
Succeeded by
Burton P. C. Hall
Preceded by
Edward Zacca
President of the Court of Appeal of the Bahamas
2001–2010
Succeeded by
Anita Allen