Onderkelkia Ties Chief Justice Record
A New Chief Justice and Judicial Plan
By Writinglegend
(Europeia – July 8, 2017) – On July 6, the High Court of Europeia announced that Right Honourable OnderKelkia would assume the vacant position of Chief Justice. The Chief Justice is responsible for handling administrative matters related to the operation of the High Court, and is selected by their peers on the court.
"I am grateful to my colleagues for entrusting me with this position," the new Chief Justice stated in a public statement. "An announcement will be made shortly regarding administrative priorities for the Court during my term as Chief Justice."
This is the sixth time that Onderkelkia has been selected as Chief Justice of the High Court, which is tied for the most all-time. The citizens of the region unanimously expressed their congratulations and excitement for the upcoming term. CSP, the current nominee for the vacant Minister of World Assembly position, was one such voice, stating," A well-deserved honor."
After receiving the position of Chief Justice, Onderkelkia released a statement from the Office of the Chief Justice outlining his plans for the rest of his tenure. "The key priority for my term as Chief Justice will be expanding and re-writing the Court's procedures," Onderkelkia said. "Rather than judges re-inventing court procedure with each case, best practice can be codified and consistently applied to case management as we move forward."
The move by the Chief Justice comes in an attempt to provide additional clarity for judges, advocates, and litigants in future cases. The Constitution and the Judicature Act (2012) vest both the Chief Justice and the Court as a whole with significant powers for establishing procedures, yet this has never been fully utilized. By providing additional procedural clarity, the Court can ensure smooth movement in its future operations.
In the same announcement, Chief Justice Onderkelkia also made a strategical alteration to the Judicial Training Center (JTC), which is a depository for educational content regarding Europeian law. "The current name [Judicial Training Center] implies that it is a location where vocational judicial training is provided," he noted. " In actuality, for several years now, it has functioned as a depository for educational content related to Europeian law. As such, the Depository of Legal Knowledge and Practice better reflects its purpose."
The move was quickly rejected by hyanygo, a former Chief Justice and Attorney General best known of his work in advocating judicial training. "I think Onder has missed a trick here and I'm not sure whether it's by willing abdication or sheer ignorance," he stated. "This is either a mere name change or the final steps in deadening in the Justices." The quick back-and-forth introduces an interesting question regarding the role the Depository of Legal Knowledge and Practice plays within the avenue of legal training.
The speech also filled the vacancy in the position of Primus Inter Parest (PIP). "In light of his previous judicial experience, I have appointed Justice Skizzy Grey as the Primus Inter Pares," Onderkelkia publicly stated. The PIP holds a valuable role on the High Court by assuming the role of the Chief Justice in the case of an absence.
Skizzy Grey, a former Attorney General and multi-term Justice, was recently confirmed as a Justice of the High Court by the Senate. He is a well known legal hawk within the region, famous for his astute legal credentials and knowledge.
Chief Justice Onderkelkia's term on the High Court ends on September 7. When his term expires, the Justices will convene once more to decide upon the Chief Justice.
