Judge Melchior Vidot steps in as interim chief justice |30 September 2020

Judge Melchior Vidot, interim CJ

Supreme Court judge Melchior Vidot has been appointed as interim Chief Justice in the stead of Mathilda Twomey who will step down in the post as of today.

This in line with legislations which allow for an acting Chief Justice to take the highest seat in the Supreme Court until the Constitutional Appointments Authority (CAA) and president designates a new chief justice.

According to Attorney General Frank Ally, it was the CAA that proposed Judge Vidot’s temporary appointment to President Danny Faure.

“In the meantime, until a new chief justice is selected and takes his oath of office, the acting chief justice will perform all the functions of a chief justice,” said Mr Ally.

The CAA expects to submit a list of all the suitably qualified candidates to the president and the latter will have to assess the proposals to choose the next chief justice of the Supreme Court.

In regards to how this may affect the swearing in ceremony after the general elections, Mr Ally said: “The person who wins the presidential election will be sworn in by the acting chief justice, but if the president appoints a new chief justice beforehand the winner will be sworn in by the new chief justice.”

Judge Vidot was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court in 2016.

Elsie Pointe