Chief Justice Talks Opening Of The 2026 Legal Year

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NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS – Within 24 hours, the judiciary will usher in the new legal year during a ceremony marked with tradition.

Members from every branch of the legal fraternity will gather to hear what’s in store for the next 12 months.

One of the most anticipated addresses will come from Chief Justice Sir Ian Winder K.C.

Our Jasmin Brown recently sat down for an exclusive interview with the CJ, for a preview of what’s to come.

“The opening of the legal year for the judiciary and stakeholders, the attorney general, the bar president to pretty much report on what transpired over the last year and give a foretaste on how that work continues or what can be expected in that court of the year.”

Chief Justice Sir Ian Winder K.C. says the opening of the legal year is more than just a ceremony – it’s a platform for laying out the plan for the justice system and outlining the goals.

The opening of the legal year marks the start of the judiciary’s calendar and by law, it has to commence on the second Wednesday in January.

The ceremonies that include a church service, followed by a special court sitting attended by judges, judicial officers, attorneys and of course the chief justice.

Sir Ian giving me a preview of some of what he plans on highlighting in his address, including accomplishments.

“We’ll speak on issues like the criminal justice board, which is a new initiative that began mid-last year and that’s proving effective. The sentencing guidelines… give an update because we’re far advanced with respect to that. We’ve completed the bench book and also give some details on the proposal for the commercial court.”

When it comes to their biggest achievements last year, the CJ says the completion of the criminal bench book and sentencing guidelines are high on the list.

“The criminal bench boom, which is a 500-page book. It’s a cheat book for judges, and we’re going to make it available to practitioners. It’s a quick guide for dealing with criminal prosecutiuons and we hope that will aide all the parties. The sentencing guidelines, we’ve been working on that for the last 2 years and it’s finally at an end. “