President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Patrick Brooks, is set to retire from his post this summer.
The announcement was made by Chief Justice Bryan Sykes during last week’s swearing-in ceremony for a number of judges to act in higher offices in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal for the Easter Term.
In his address, Sykes noted that the ceremony would be the last one for Brooks before his retirement.
The chief jurist expressed his gratitude to the Appeal Court president for his service to Jamaica’s judiciary.
“His (Brooks’) retirement takes effect in the summer, so let me use this opportunity to express my thanks to him for his support for me, personally, and the work of the courts generally, and, particularly, in the Court of Appeal,” said Sykes.
“So, I wish to place on record my gratitude and my thanks to the Honourable Mr Justice Patrick Brooks,” he added.
Sykes said Brooks has been “unwavering” in his support for the work of the judicial system.
“The president (Brooks) has fully embraced our vision and mission and, certainly, we have seen the result of that in the work of the Court of Appeal, and I know that he has implemented a number of initiatives, commencing last year coming into this year, that have led to the significant improvement in the productivity of the court,” Sykes stated.
Brooks was appointed as Appeal Court president in December of 2020, following the retirement of Justice Dennis Morrison (now deceased).
Brooks was admitted to practice law in 1979, and in the intervening 41 years, has worked in both the private sector, as well as in the Government service as a prosecutor in various capacities. These included as crown counsel in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Brooks, who is highly regarded by his colleagues, worked as a legal officer for three years at what was then the state-owned Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS).
He subsequently joined the law firm of Nunes, Scholefield, DeLeon & Co, where he was a partner for over 16 years before his appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court in September 2002.
In January 2012, Brooks was appointed to the Court of Appeal.
