2013 Case of Note: In Privy Council — Selassie (Appellant) and Pearman (Appellant) v The Queen (Respondent)
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (the “Board”) is the highest court of appeal for cases from Bermuda to be heard. When a case has reached the Privy Council, the issues to be considered by the Board are typically on points of law. On 8 October 2013, the Board handed down a judgment which […]
Privy Council Watch
Bermuda is Britain’s oldest overseas territory and the Privy Council in London is the final Court of Appeal from Decisions of the Court of Appeal in Bermuda. Further, the Supreme Court and Appeal Court of Bermuda are bound by decisions of the Privy Council in cases from all jurisdictions where the Privy Council is the […]
An Update on Disputed Wills
Litigation surrounding Wills is steadily on the increase. In particular, issues of disputed testamentary capacity are becoming more frequent and as such, attorneys must be extremely cautious when taking Will instructions from individuals. What does this mean? Disputes involving lack of testamentary capacity refer to those that have to do with the determination of the mental […]
Overview of divorce law in Bermuda
In this article I will address some of the general principles of Bermuda divorce law and also take a look at some misconceptions which are fairly widely held. At the outset, however, I must stress that time and space will not permit a very detailed analysis and I would counsel anyone engaged in, or considering, […]
Remember Your SCARF…
“Remember to take your SCARF into negotiations” may seem like odd advice. It isn’t. SCARF, an acronym for Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness, should not be overlooked and should be taken into account when entering into negotiations. Briefly: “Status” refers to the need to be respected and treated as an equal; “Certainty” to the […]
The Road to Debt Recovery through the Court System
Bermuda’s Judiciary has now taken to publishing an annual report (2012 Annual Report (PDF)). One of the more revealing statistics to emerge for 2012 was that over 3,500 cases were commenced in the Magistrate’s Court by parties who were suing for money they claimed they are owed. Nearly 4,000 cases in one year! A huge […]