Blake Morgan hosts Society of Caribbean Lawyers event

Blake Morgan had the pleasure of hosting a Welcome Reception with the Society of Caribbean Lawyers (SOCAL) for the Rt. Hon. Dame Janice M. Pereira at its London Office, to celebrate her achievements and appointment as a Privy Counsellor.

This was the second SOCAL event hosted by Blake Morgan this year and was a special evening, featuring a Q&A panel, steel pan music and some classic Caribbean fare!

On Wednesday 11 December, a Q&A panel was chaired by Akima Paul Lambert, Partner at Hogan Lovells and Chair of SOCAL, with contributions from Dame Janice Pereira, Lord Briggs, Louise di Mambro OBE and Nicola Diggle – who were all tested with some thought-provoking questions from students and practitioners alike.

Lord Briggs, Supreme Court Justice and on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council since 2017, was also in attendance, continuing his regular attendance at SOCAL events.

Rt. Hon Dame Janice M Pereira

Dame Janice hails from the small island of Virgin Gorda in the Virgin Islands. In 2012 she became the first female Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and was appointed Dame of the British Empire in 2013. She is the longest serving Chief Justice and retired from that role earlier this year.

Following her retirement from the EC Supreme Court, Dame Janice was appointed a Privy Counsellor by His Majesty the King in August 2024. She sat with the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council during the week of 9 December 2024 and is due to sit again in the spring of 2025.

The SOCAL event at Blake Morgan’s London office. (From the left) Akima Paul Lambert, Rt. Hon. Dame Janice M. Pereira, Louise di Mambro OBE and Nicola Diggle.

Changes to the Privy Council Rules

An overhaul to the JCPC Rules and Practice Directions came into force on 4 December 2024, together with the launch of a new website and online case management portal.

Blake Morgan is hosting an online webinar on 28 January 2025 to discuss the new Rules and what this means for you. Please follow this link for more details and to register.

If you have any queries regarding the operation of the new Rules and procedures and how this may affect your appeal, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Blake Morgan Privy Council team.