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ABOUT THE CMJA
Background
The Association was founded in 1970 as the Commonwealth
Magistrates' Association and the current name was adopted in 1988. The
Association is registered as a charitable organisation in the United Kingdom.
It is a Company Limited by Guarantee and not having a Share Capital.
The Association has a staff of two:
Dr Karen Brewer - Secretary General
Ms Kate N. Hubbard- Executive Administrator
The Association is governed by a General
Assembly of its Members which meets not less frequently than every
fourth year.
It has been the normal practice of the
Association for the General Assembly of Members to be held during the
week of the Triennial Conference. There is an elected Council upon which
sit three representatives from each of six regions:
- Caribbean
- East, Central and Southern Africa
- West Africa
- Indian Ocean
- Atlantic and Mediterranean
- Pacific Ocean
plus the President, the Executive Vice-President, the
Treasurer.
The Council also includes Life Vice Presidents
and the Immediate Past President. The Council meets at least once a year.
The Composition of Council
for
2009-2012 is:
|
POSITION
NAME
|
COUNTRY
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| PRESIDENT |
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The Hon. Mrs Justice Norma Wade- Miller
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Bermuda
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| IMMEDIATE
PAST PRESIDENT |
|
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The Rt. Hon. Chief Justice Richard A Banda
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Swaziland
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| EXECUTIVE
VICE PRESIDENT |
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Sir Phillip Bailhache
|
JERSEY
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| HON.
TREASURER |
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| Mr Paul G Norton JP |
UK |
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HONORARY LIFE VICE-PRESIDENTS
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His Hon. Magistrate David Armati
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AUSTRALIA
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The Rt Hon. Lord Hope of Craighead
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UK
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The Hon. Mr. Justice Kipling Douglas
|
CAYMAN ISLANDS
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Mrs Sandra E. Oxner
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CANADA
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Mr Michael Lambert
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ENGLAND AND WALES
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Mrs Clover Thompson-Gordon
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JAMAICA
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REGIONAL VICE-PRESIDENTS
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CARIBBEAN
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The Hon. Justice Richard Williams
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TURKS AND CAICOS
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WEST AFRICA
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Justice Paul Evande Mwambo
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CAMEROON
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INDIAN OCEAN
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(Vacant)
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EAST, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
AFRICA
|
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His Hon. Justice Bernard Luanda
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TANZANIA
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ATLANTIC & MEDITERRANEAN
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The Hon. Justice John Vertes
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CANADA
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PACIFIC OCEAN
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The Hon. Robin Millhouse QC
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KIRIBATI/NAURU
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REGIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS
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CARIBBEAN
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Mrs Faith Marshall-Harris
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BARBADOS
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Mrs Margaret Ramsay-Hale
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CAYMAN ISLANDS
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EAST, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
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Mrs Arida Chulu
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ZAMBIA
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Mrs Matankiso Nthunya
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LESOTHO
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ATLANTIC AND MEDITERRANEAN
|
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Sheriff Michael Fletcher
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SCOTLAND
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Mrs Anita St John Gray
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ENGLAND AND WALES
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INDIAN OCEAN
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| His Hon. Justice Markandey
Katju |
INDIA |
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Mr Nithiyanantham Murugesu
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MALAYSIA
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PACIFIC OCEAN
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Mr John Lowndesl
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AUSTRALIA
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Judge Mary Beth Sharp
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NEW ZEALAND
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WEST AFRICA
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Mrs Ayodele O Odugbesan
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NIGERIA
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Judge Charles Adjei Wilson
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GHANA
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CO-OPTED MEMBERS OF COUNCIL
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Sheriff Douglas Allan
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SCOTLAND
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The Rt. Hon. Sir Henry Brooke
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ENGLAND AND WALES
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| His Hon. Justice
Charles Mkandawire |
NAMIBIA/SADC
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Judge Leona Theron
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SOUTH AFRICA
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The CMJA also has a Director of Programmes, a full time
judge, who provides voluntary assistance to organise the CMJA's educational
programme. Our current Director of Programmes is District Judge Shamim
Qureshi (England and Wales)
Recent Achievements [back to top]
- The CMJA has been the repository of the Codes
of Conduct/Ethics of judiciaries around the Commonwealth since 1998.
Fighting Corruption in the Judiciary is a priority area and the Association
has been promoting the Limassol
Conclusions agreed in 2002.
- The re-launch of the Judicial
Education Programme under the auspices of a Director of Studies
in 1999; The CMJA has organised training courses, seminars, workshops
and Conferences to assist in the development and maintenance of good
standards in the judiciary, human rights, judicial independence and
the fight against corruption.
- The establishment of CMJA's Gender
Section and the subsequent involvement of the Association in four
Regional Judicial Colloquia on Women's Rights in conjunction with the
Gender and Youth Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat, held
in Zimbabwe (1994), the UN Women's Conference in Beijing (1995), Hong
Kong (1996) and Guyana (1996); and the Gender Section conferences held
in St Lucia (1999), the Bahamas (2000) and Barbados (2001); London (2002)
and Bermuda (2008)
- The contribution to the April 1996 Commonwealth
Law Ministers Meeting which established a new Ministerial Working Group
on the Independence of the Judiciary in the Commonwealth and to the
Commonwealth Law Ministers Meetings held in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago
and in 2002 in St Vincent's and the Grenadines and the continued liaison
with the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Division of the Commonwealth
Secretariat;
- The Victoria
Falls Proclamation 1994 approved by
the General Assembly of the CMJA reaffirming the principles of the Independence
of the Judiciary and the Rule of Law as a reaffirmation of Members'
commitment to the objectives of the Association;
- The participation, as a accredited Commonwealth
Association in the activities surrounding the Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting in New Zealand, 1995 and Scotland, 1997, Durban 1999;
Abuja 2003; Malta 2005.
- The granting of Royal Patronage to the CMJA
by Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth.
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