Justice Bulkan’s appointment seen as helping to clear Appeal Court backlog

Commission and the Commission, which is made up of five members, makes a recommendation to the president”, he said when asked to explain how it was that he was chosen to be a judge. Prior to the appointment there was no indication that the JSC was looking to boost the complement of the court nor that the body was reviewing applications.

While speaking to reporters, the Appellate Judge expressed hope that he will be able to assist in clearing up the existing backlog at the Court of Appeal, which he said is integral to his appointment.

Justice Bulkan said that sitting as an Appellate Judge was not really an ambition of his while pointing out that he has a long history of public service. In addition to his magistracy position, he was previously attached to the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) up until 1996. Thereafter, he practised privately for several years before embarking on studies in the area of land rights.

He expressed certainty that he will get a lot done during his stint. “I think that’s the idea, yes. It will mean less adjournments”, he said.

Justice Bulkan, who is also a wellknown human rights advocate, with successes in the courts in this area, said that at the moment he doesn’t believe that there is a possibility that his stint will be extended. “I am a full-time lecturer at the University of the West Indies. So it is a temporary six-month appointment”.

According to the UWI website, Bulkan joined the Faculty of Law at the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies in September 2008 and transferred to the St Augustine campus in January 2012 where as a senior lecturer he currently teaches Constitutional Law, Commonwealth Caribbean Human Rights Law, International Human Rights Law and Law and Legal Systems in the LLB programme.

Attorney General Basil Williams SC who was among members of the legal fraternity on hand to witness the appointment, told reporters that he has confidence that Justice Bulkan can perform excellently as he knows him as a legal practioner.

Hearings at the Court of Appeal came to a halt in February last year following the retirement of then Acting Chan-cellor Carl Singh and Justice BS Roy, leaving Justice Cummings-Edwards as the only sitting Appellate Judge. Three such judges are required to hear a case. The court resumed its work in May that year following the appointments of Justices George and Barnes. Justice Persaud was appointed in July last year.