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Margaret Ramsay-Hale is a Jamaican lawyer and judge. She is currently serving as a justice of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, a position that she has held since 13 January 2020. Ramsay-Hale was previously the first female puisne judge and the first female chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Early life

Ramsay-Hale was born in Kingston, Jamaica. She is the daughter of Ian Ramsay, the first Jamaican lawyer to be appointed as a Queen's Counsel, and Rosa Ramsay. She moved to England to study for her A-Levels in 1977. She received a bachelors of science degree in economics from the London School of Economics in 1981. She began studying law at the University of the West Indies in September 1986 and attended the Norman Manley Law School. While she was studying at law school, Ramsay-Hale worked as a model, including in runway shows choreographed by Bert Rose.

She was called to the bar in October 1991 and began her career practicing privately in the chambers of Howard Hamilton QC. She is certified as a mediator. She was appointed as a crown council in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in January 1994.

Career

Ramsay-Hale was a family court judge in St James, Jamaica, and a magistrate in the parish's criminal courts. She moved to the Cayman Islands in September 1998, where she served as a magistrate in the Summary Court for ten years and as chief magistrate for three years. She was an acting judge for the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands in 2006 and was an appointed member of the Cayman Islands Panel of Acting Grand Court Judges in 2013.

She was appointed by Governor Ric Todd as a puisne judge for the Supreme Court of the Turks and Caicos Islands on 1 November 2011, becoming the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court. Ramsay-Hale was promoted to chief justice by Governor Peter Beckingham, following consultation by the Judicial Service Commission, on 19 June 2014. She was the first female chief justice of the Turks and Caicos Islands. She was sworn into this position on 22 September 2014. She served as the presiding judge for the civil and commercial divisions and worked in the criminal and matrimonial and family divisions. She was re-appointed for a further three-year term on 10 October 2017 by Governor John Freeman. She officially resigned the position on 10 January 2020.

Ramsay-Hale was appointed a judge of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands by Governor Martyn Roper, which became effective on 13 January 2020.

References

1. ^ "Daughter of eminent Jamaican lawyer Ian Ramsay sworn in as chief justice of Turks & Caicos". Jamaica Observer. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
2. ^ "Chief Magistrate set to discuss feminism on Friday". Cayman Compass. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
3. ^ "TCI bids a fond farewell to Margaret Ramsay-Hale". Turks and Caicos Weekly News. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
4. "Chief magistrate has model background". Cayman Compass. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
5. ^ "Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale gets three year extension". Turks and Caicos Weekly News. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
6. ^ "Ramsay-Hale returning as Grand Court judge". Cayman Compass. 12 November 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
7. "Ramsay-Hale returns to Cayman bench". Cayman News Service. 12 November 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
8. Winker, Carol (2 November 2011). "Her Ladyship takes oath of office". Cayman Compass. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
9. ^ "Jamaican is new chief justice for the TCI". Jamaica Observer. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
10. "Margaret Ramsay-Hale is the first female TCI Chief Justice". Turks and Caicos Weekly News. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
11. "Goldsbrough leaves, Ramsay-Hale to be sworn-in as Chief Justice". Turks and Caicos Weekly News. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2022.

• Living people
• Jamaican judges on the courts of the Cayman Islands
• Jamaican judges on the courts of the Turks and Caicos Islands
• Chief justices of the Turks and Caicos Islands
• Women chief justices
• Alumni of the London School of Economics
• University of the West Indies alumni