Senior Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel Tapped for Chief Magistrate Role

After more than two years without permanent leadership in the Magistracy, Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin has put forward Senior Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel as his choice to become the country’s next Chief Magistrate.

The Legal Affairs Minister confirmed the recommendation has been sent to the Judicial and Legal Service Commission for official approval, following the end of Acting Chief Magistrate Dexter Wason’s tenure.

Sir Steadroy told Observer Media that careful thought went into the decision.

“Serious considerations were given to recommending Ngaio Emanuel to be the new Chief Magistrate. But you know that takes time to be processed and I’m certain once that is done that she’ll be appointed as the new Chief Magistrate,” the Legal Affairs Minister said.

According to Observer, the Attorney General spoke enthusiastically about Emanuel’s judicial record and her management of court proceedings.

He characterized Emanuel as a “professional lady” who has “proven herself to be quite outstanding with her judgments and her administration of the courts generally” and “will be a great asset to the judiciary.”

Benjamin went further in his assessment, stating: “She’s a professional who has actually demonstrated her capacity, understands the law, is an extremely good person to work with and she has administered her court with great distinction and she’s well suited for that position.”

Emanuel holds an LLB (Hons) from the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, which she obtained in 2004. Two years later, she earned her Legal Education Certificate from Hugh Wooding Law School and was admitted to practice law in both the Commonwealth of Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago.

Her professional experience includes a six-year tenure at Chancery Chambers in Trinidad and Tobago, where she worked alongside Douglas Mendes SC from 2006 through 2012.

In March 2013, Emanuel joined Antigua and Barbuda’s judiciary as a Magistrate. She climbed the ranks over the following decade, securing promotion to Senior Magistrate status eleven years later in March 2024.

Emanuel has also distinguished herself through service on the Child Justice Board, where she has served as Chairperson since 2017. Her commitment to continuous learning is evident in her recent academic achievement—an LLM with Merit from the University of East London, which she completed in 2023.

The vacancy Emanuel is being tapped to fill dates back to July 2023. That’s when the Judicial and Legal Services Commission suspended Joanne Walsh amid allegations of professional misconduct. Walsh ultimately stepped down from the judiciary after being convicted on several disciplinary charges.

Wason was brought in as Acting Chief Magistrate to maintain operational continuity during the transitional period.