Dame JOAN AUGUSTA SAWYER DBE, PC

The Rt. Honourable Dame Joan Augusta Sawyer, Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and Privy Councillor is President of the Bahamas Court of Appeal, having been appointed on September 5^th, 2001. She is the former Chief Justice of the Commonwealth of the Bahama islands having served in that capacity from October 26, 1996 to September 4^th, 2001. She is the first woman to serve as Chief Justice and President of the Court of Appeal of The Bahamas.

Birth: Born November 26, 1940 at George Town, Exuma, Bahamas.

Education: She received her primary and secondary education in the The Bahamas. In 1970 she was enrolled in the College of Law. As a member of the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn she was called to the English Bar on July 19, 1973. After her call to the Bahamas Bar on September 12, 1973 Dame Joan Sawyer resumed her employment with the Attorney General’s Office (later the Department of Legal Affairs) as an Assistant Counsel. During a distinguished career in that Department she acted as Director of Legal Affairs on two separate occasions. She is knowledgeable and acquainted with the Judicial affairs of other territories of the Commonwealth of Nations and also of the United States of America having attended and participated in many international legal seminars and forums. Prior to her appointment as Chief Justice of The Bahamas, the Government sent her to view the administration of justice in other jurisdictions including the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Family Life: Dame Joan Sawyer is a widower and has one son, Samuel Anthony and two grandchildren.

Religion: Committed Anglican Christian. She is an active member of St. Barnabas’ Anglican Church in New Providence.

Professional Life:

1958 Entered the Bahamas Public Service as a clerk-trainee at the Public Works Department, now Ministry of Public Works

1968 Appointed Chief Clerk, Ministry of Works and served briefly in the Ministry of Education

1970 Transferred to the Attorney General’s Office to be trained as a lawyer

1973 Assistant Counsel in the Attorney General’s Office

1978 Acting Stipendiary and Circuit Magistrate

1980/1983 - Acted as Director of Legal Affairs

1984-1987- Appointed Legal Counsel and Secretary of the Central Bank of The Bahamas

Aug 12-Nov 1987- Acted as Supreme Court Justice and on May 6 1988 was confirmed in that position becoming the first female Justice of the Supreme Court of The Bahamas. Between 1989-1994 served as Chairperson of the Public Service Board of Appeal

1995 - Appointed Senior Justice of the Supreme Court and acted as Chief Justice of The Bahamas on four separate occasions

Oct. 1996 - Sworn in as the first female Chief Justice of The Bahamas and the third Bahamian in that post since independence in July 1973

Dec. 1996- Made a Dame Cammander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, the equivalent of a Knighthood for males. This dignity was conferred on her on May 9, 1997 by His Excellency Sir Orville Turnquest, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas at Government House with pomp and ceremony.

2002 - Invited to serve as an Honorary Bencher of Gray’s Inn in recognition of her outstanding scholarship and professional excellence

June 2004 - Appointed a member of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council.

Hobbies: Reading, sewing, embroidery, gardening and serious theatre