THE SUPREME COURT OF BERMUDA
Dame Lois Browne Evans Building
58 Court Street
Hamilton HM12
Bermuda
Tel: 292-1350
Website: www.gov.bm
FOREWORD
This is the 2025 Revision to the Judicial Complaints Protocol for Bermuda.
Judicial Complaints Protocol for Bermuda Revised 4 April 2025 (application form included)
It is inherent to the office of the Chief Justice and the President of the Court of Appeal as the senior judicial officers of their respective courts, and to the public administration of justice in Bermuda, that the Chief Justice and the President of the Court of Appeal have the authority and power to exercise supervision and control over the judicial conduct of the members of their respective courts in matters which are not so serious as to require the Governor to consider the removal of a judge for misconduct in office. This is central to maintaining the constitutional principle of the separation of powers to ensure that the Judiciary is not subject to the control of the Parliamentary or Executive branches of Government.
The high standards of personal and professional conduct expected of judicial officers must be subject to scrutiny by the public whom they serve. It is therefore important that the system for administering complaints against judicial officers must be efficient, fair and robust to enable complaints to be examined and dealt with in a manner that provides appropriate remedial action where it is justified. In the interests of transparency, consistency and public accountability, the system for reviewing, administering and dealing with complaints concerning judicial officers must be regularly reviewed and publicised.
The revised Complaints Protocol has been the subject of consultation and input from the members of the Judiciary, the Registry and the Magistrates, and has received the full support of H E Governor and the members of the Judicial and Legal Services Committee. The Revised Protocol supercedes and replaces the Judicial Complaints Protocol 2018 and is effective from the date of its formal publication.
The Rt. Hon. Sir Christopher Clarke, President of the Court of Appeal
The Hon. Larry Mussenden, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
4 April 2025
