Masters of the Bench

Janice M. Pereira, DBE was sworn in as the first female Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court on 24 October 2012. She joined the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court as a High Court Judge in 2003 and later was elevated to the position of Justice of Appeal in 2009.  In May 2013 she was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Born in the Territory of the Virgin Islands, Dame Janice attended the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus where she received her LLB (honours) and then in 1981 received her Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School.

In 1981 she was called to the Bar in the Virgin Islands. Dame Janice served in various capacities in the public sector including, Registrar and Magistrate.  Prior to joining the court she was a partner in a leading law firm in the Virgin Islands and practiced in fields ranging from Corporate and Commercial Law to Family and Admiralty Law, and as an advocate at all levels of the Court.

She is the holder of several awards and has been recognised for her contributions in the field of law and the administration of justice.

She has the distinction of other “firsts”: one of the first female Virgin Islanders to be called to the Bar of the Virgin Islands; the first Virgin Islander to be appointed to the Bench of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court; and the first female to be appointed to the Court of Appeal.