Seychelles: New President of the Supreme Court
The President of the Republic, Mr Wavel Ramkalawan witnessed the swearing in of Justice Rony James Govinden appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Seychelles during a ceremony held at State House, November 9, 2020.
President Wavel Ramkalawan has appointed Justice Govinden under Article 127 of the Constitution following recommendations made by the Constitutional Appointments Authority (CAA). During the ceremony, Justice Govinden took two Oaths; The oath of Allegiance and the Judicial Oath.
Justice Govinden was elevated to puisne Judge in March 2017. He has a Bachelor of Laws with Honours from the University of Mauritius and sat for his Bar at the Council of Legal Education Mauritius in 1997.
From 1998 until 2007 he served as State Counsel and moved up to become Principal State Counsel. Mr. Govinden was promoted to Deputy Attorney General in 2007, where he served until 2009 before being appointed Attorney General. Mr. Govinden has also served as Notary of the Republic of Seychelles and on various Boards.
During his remarks, President Ramkalawan congratulated the new Chief Justice and highlighted that despite the great responsibility bestowed on him in his new role and the expectations; he believes that his appointment today also signifies a new beginning and an opportunity for all the three branches of government to give their very best to the country.
The new chief justice, replaces Mrs. Mathilda Twomey, who preferred to retire after having served a five-year term.
As a reminder, the Supreme Court of Seychelles has been a member of the CJCA since 2012.
