The President of the Court of Appeal, the Hon. Justice Ian Kawaley, has lifted a stay that had prevented the formal confirmation of Shakira Dill-Francois as Bermuda’s Solicitor General, clearing the way for her appointment to the substantive post.
Ms Dill-Francois, a Bermudian, was announced by the Government in August 2024 as Bermuda’s first female Solicitor General, marking a significant milestone in the island’s legal and public service history.
The confirmation of her appointment had been placed on hold following legal proceedings brought in connection with recommendations made by the Public Service Commission.
On January 24, 2025, Puisne Judge the Hon. Justice Andrew Martin imposed a stay after Eugene Johnston, a Crown Counsel in the Attorney General’s Chambers, and K. Amani Lawrence, a Parliamentary Counsel in the Legislative Drafting section of the Attorney General’s Chambers, sought and were granted leave to seek judicial review.
The proceedings concern the Public Service Commission’s recommendations of Ms Dill-Francois for the post of Solicitor General and Nalini Salick for the position of Chief Parliamentary Counsel.
The stay prevented the appointments from being formally confirmed while the legal proceedings remained before the courts.
Ms Dill-Francois has, however, continued to perform the functions of Solicitor General throughout the intervening period.
Justice Kawaley’s decision to lift the stay now removes the restriction that had prevented her substantive confirmation, paving the way for the Government to formally confirm her appointment.
Nearly two years after the Government first announced her selection, the decision clears the way for Ms Dill-Francois to be formally confirmed as Bermuda’s first female Solicitor General and the first Bermudian woman to hold the post
The development represents a historic milestone for Bermuda’s legal profession and public service.
The lifting of the stay does not, however, determine the substantive issues raised in the judicial review proceedings, which remain separate from the question of whether the appointments should continue to be restrained pending their resolution.
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