I am honoured to have been appointed Chief Justice by President James Michel on the recommendation of the CAA. I am grateful for the trust and confidence that the President has placed in me. It is an office which carries onerous duties and great responsibility.

I acknowledge the learned men who have preceded me in this office. The expectations of the bench, bar and the Seychellois people in general are high. I welcome the huge challenge and will do my best to live up to it.

I will now sit in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, and will serve both with equal energy and fervour. It is a unique position to be in and one which I intend to harness to spearhead the constitutional and structural reforms to see our judicial system brought into the 21st century.

I look forward to leading my team in the Supreme Court and Registry and equally to working with my colleagues in the Court of Appeal, but importantly and often unmentioned the Magistrates and members of the many Tribunals which form part of this pillar of our democracy.

Anyone who has followed my work in the Court of Appeal will know that I fervently believe that our judicial system is drastically in need of reform. Within my previous remit I have pursued the updating of our law books, publishing of our laws and judgements on the internet via SeyLII, the revision of the Civil Code, and most importantly engaging our young legal professionals and students to drive these forward.

I view my appointment to the position of Chief Justice as recognition of these efforts, and it should come as no surprise that I intend to persevere with my reform efforts.

The Judiciary must continue to strive to refrain from engaging in political polemics. It must also rise above modern multimedia influences that reduce our justice system to a case-by-case microcosm that assigns partisan political motives to every court decision and defines the judiciary by the relationships its members have, especially in the tiny community of Seychelles where everyone is interrelated by bonds of kinship or friendship. Its officers must perform their duties serene in the respect of their constitutional oaths of office, and in its mandate of an independent and impartial judiciary. Its greater responsibility is to strive in the maintenance of the rule of law.

Reform is not about focusing on individual cases where the law has not been convenient to a personal or political cause; it is systemic and systematic in nature. For example, there is a drastic need to overhaul the judicial system, one with the Court of Appeal as the superior court both jurisprudentially and administratively. Reform will address court administration and case management to eliminate the delays in our court system, which are unsustainable. Seychelles would be better served by a more transparent, expedient and effective Court system making justice more accessible to all.

I have been privileged to have received many scholarships in the academic world. These have honed my legal skills and whetted my appetite for research and for the delivery of excellence in the work I perform. I have been fortunate to have been raised by two just and loving parents and continue to share the love, affection and respect of my siblings and my children.

I love my country and will serve it to the very best of my ability. It is a great honour to be asked to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Seychelles.