Cayman Court successfully responds to COVID-19 challenges

A substantive hearing of a winding up petition in the Financial Services Division last week successfully conducted via video-link shows the Cayman Court is effectively responding to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That's the view of Ogier partner Jennifer Fox who appeared in the hearing, which was held via video-link with the judge presiding from the United Kingdom.

On 28 March 2020, the Honourable Chief Justice of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands announced modified procedures of the Court to ensure its compliance with the Public Health (Prevention, Control and Supersession of COVID-19) Regulations 2020 and to minimise risk to its staff, jurors, attorneys and members of the public while also ensuring the Court continues to administer justice. 

Jennifer said: "The Court conducted testing prior to the hearing to ensure all parties could successfully access the video session. This meant that no technical issues were experienced during the hearing and all parties were clearly heard on their submissions to the Court. In addition, the parties exchanged electronic hearing bundles to which the presiding judge and parties were easily able to refer during the course of the hearing.”

"The Court's apparent seamless adaptation to these challenging times is a testament to its well established technological capabilities, given that judges have frequently presided over interlocutory hearings by video-link from abroad in the past. In addition, the Honourable Chief Justice confirmed that the Court's administrative functions continue through telephone or email or other technological means and has foreshadowed the imminent release of an updated Practice Direction on using video-link to conduct hearings.”