Don's CV

 

Justice (Retd) Don Mitchell CBE

Curriculum Vitae Ultima

Birth 15 August, 1946	Born Ian Donaldson Mitchell at Basseterre, St Kitts, to Arthur Donaldson Mitchell, civil servant, of Basseterre, St Kitts, deceased, and Murielle Agnes Mitchell nee Owen of Molyneux, St Kitts, deceased
Marital status 22 April, 1972	Married to Margaret Mary Mitchell, BA Hons (Lond), FRGS, nee McCarthy, formerly of Bristol, England
Citizenships	British Overseas Territories Citizen by naturalisation in Anguilla
	Anguillian by virtue of section 4(3) of the Anguilla Constitution Order, 1982
	British Citizen by virtue of the British Nationality Act, 1981 as amended in 2002
	St Kitts-Nevis Citizen by birth
	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Citizen by virtue of the birth of his father in Chateaubelair on 26 November 1918
	Grenadian Citizen by virtue of the birth of his paternal grandfather Rev Victor Donaldson Mitchell of Gouyave
Address	Owen Lane, North Hill, PO Box 83, Anguilla
Education
1953 - 1955	Primary School - Mrs McCarthy’s Primary School, Woodford Lodge, Chaguanas, Trinidad
1955 - 1964	Secondary School - Abbey School, Mt St Benedict, Tunapuna, Trinidad
1965 - 1967	A-Levels - Becket College, St Mary at Hill, London
1968 - 1971	Degree of the Utter Bar – Hon Society of the Inner Temple
Calls to the Bar
22 July 1971	Bar of England and Wales - at the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, London
27 Sept 1971	Bar of St Kitts-Nevis - at the High Court, Basseterre, St Kitts
11 February 1981	Bar of Anguilla - at the High Court, The Valley, Anguilla
18 October 1996	The Inner Bar - at the High Court, The Valley, Anguilla
Professional
1 August 1971 to 28 February 1972	Pupillage at the Chambers of Frank Henville QC, Basseterre, St Kitts
1971 - 1976	Sole practitioner at Chambers rented from the estate of the late Sir Geoffrey Boone, MC, QC, Bank Street, Basseterre, St Kitts, WI
1976 - 1980	Magistrate of Anguilla; Registrar of the Supreme Court; Coroner; Registrar General of Births Deaths and Marriages; Registrar of Companies, Trade Marks, Patents, Co-operative Societies, Credit Unions, Friendly Societies, Newspapers, and Trades Unions; Secretary to the Medical Board; and Island Archivist
1981 - 1999	Senior Partner in the firm of Mitchell’s Chambers, The Valley, Anguilla, WI, acting as solicitor and counsel in over 400 High Court and Court of Appeal cases
April - July, 1997	Acting High Court Judge, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
April – July, 1998	Acting High Court Judge, Saint Lucia
1 August 1999 to 30 Sept 2004	Upon retirement from private practice, served as a High Court Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in all of the nine states and territories of the region served by the Court:  The Virgin Islands, Anguilla, St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua, Montserrat, Dominica, St Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada
2010 - 2013	Acting Justice of the Court of Appeal of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Pro-Bono Legal Services to the Community
1973	Helped to establish the Caribbean Family Planning Affiliation, an umbrella organisation of Caribbean FPAs, subsequently registered it in Anguilla in 1985 as a not-for-profit corporation, and acted as its legal adviser until retirement from private practice in 1999
1978	Founding member of the Anguilla Family Planning Association, first an unregistered body, later registered as a Friendly Society, and its honorary legal adviser until retirement
1981	Registered the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association Ltd at the request of hoteliers Leon Royden of Malliouhana Hotel and Jeremiah Gumbs of Rendezvous Bay Hotel as a not-for-profit corporation, and acted as its legal adviser for several years
1983	Registered the Friends of the Methodist Pre-School Society as a Friendly Society, and acted as its legal adviser until retirement
1990	Registered the Anguilla Chamber of Commerce as a not-for-profit corporation, and acted as its legal adviser for several years
1993	Registered the Anguilla Marine Heritage Society as a not-for-profit corporation at the request of Evan Owen et al, and acted as its legal adviser for several years
1993	Registered the Princess Alexandra Hospital Auxiliary as a Friendly Society, and acted as its legal adviser for several years
1993	Appointed first legal adviser to the Anguilla National Trust, a statutory corporation with historical and environmental objectives, and acted as its legal adviser until retirement
1998	Registered the Caribbean Institute of Perinatology, a regional medical charitable body, as a not-for-profit corporation, and acted as its legal adviser until retirement
Other Non-legal Community Service and Awards
1972 - 1976	Member, and later President, of the St Kitts Jaycees, an international young person’s self-improvement organisation in Basseterre, St Kitts
1972 - 1976	Member, and later President, of the St Kitts-Nevis Family Planning Association
1975 – 1999	Volunteer and elected Member of the Board of the Caribbean Family Planning Association from its foundation until retirement from the practice of law
1978 - present	Founding member, (and later President, and Honorary Member) of the Anguilla Rotary Club, an international community service organisation
1980 - 1989	Elected by the family planning associations of the Caribbean to serve as a Board Member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (Western Hemisphere Region) Inc, a New York-based not-for-profit corporation which acts as an umbrella organisation for all the FPAs of the Americas
1983	Past President, and Trustee Emeritus of the Anguilla Archaeological and Historical Society
1983 - 1999	Founding member, later President, of the Anguilla Bar Association
1986 - 1999	Member of the Fountain National Park Development Committee, appointed by Parliamentary Secretary, Rev John A Gumbs
1988	Made a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International by the Anguilla Rotary Club in recognition of service to the community
1988 - 1999	Member of the Caribbean Conservation Association, a Barbados-based regional conservation organisation, subsequently serving as a member of its Board of Directors
1989 - 1992	Elected Honorary International Legal Counsel to the International Planned Parenthood Federation, a London-based umbrella organisation of all the world’s family planning associations
1990 - present	Life member of the Association of Caribbean Historians
1991 - 1999	Founding member and long-time Board Member of the OECS Bar Association
1991 - 1999	Coach to the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School Literary and Debating Society, preparing students each year to compete in the Leeward Islands Debating Competition
1991 - present	Life member of the St Kitts Heritage Society, a conservation and historical society
1993 - 1999	Member of the Anguilla National Steering Committee for Money and Capital Markets of the ECCB, appointed by the Minister of Finance
1994 - 1999	Member and later President of the Anguilla Financial Services Association, which groups all lawyers, accountants and company management services in Anguilla
1995	Appointed a Senator of Jaycees International for services to the Anguilla Jaycees, #54198
1995 - 1999	Member of the Marine Wrecks Committee, appointed by the Parliamentary Secretary to advise on the conservation of Anguilla’s underwater heritage
2005	Appointed by Her Majesty as Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for legal services to Anguilla and the region
Post-Judicial Public Service
2004 - 2009	Chair of the Anguilla Public Service Integrity Board
2006 - 2015	Trained Mediator for the Court Administered Mediation Project
2006	Chair of the Constitutional and Electoral Reform Commission, appointed by the Governor in Council in Anguilla.  The report can be found here:  http://www.gov.ai/constitutional_reform.php
2006	Chair of the Angelus Board of Assessment appointed by Sir Cuthbert Sebastian, Governor General of St Kitts and Nevis
2006 - 2016	Volunteer lawyer at the Anguilla Legal Aid Clinic providing free legal aid services out of the offices of the Department of Social Development and Her Majesty’s Prison - With the assistance of members of the Anguilla Bar Association
2007 - 2016	Lecturer in CAPE Law at the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, The Valley, Anguilla – with assistance from the members of the Anguilla Bar Association while absent from Anguilla on judicial service.  See below also under “Publications”
2009	Sole Commissioner to Inquire into the Antigua Public Utilities Authority, appointed by the Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda.  The resulting Report can be found at: https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2006/02/4-apua-report-14-december-2005.html
2015 - 2017	Chair of the Anguilla Constitutional and Electoral Reform Committee, appointed by the Executive Council of Anguilla.  The resulting Report can be found at: http://www.gov.ai/documents/anguilla_constitutional_electoral_reform.pdf
2016 - 2018	Board Member of the Anguilla Financial Services Commission:  http://www.fsc.org.ai/
Publications, Papers and Presentations
1990	Anguilla from the Archives, 1650-1776.  A history of the first settlers of Anguilla, in 19 Chapters (revised July 2017 and August 2019) as follows:
	Anguilla From the Archives, 1650 - 1776:  Introduction and also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/0._anguilla_from_the_archives._introduction.pdf
	Chapter 1.  The Geology and Botany of Anguilla and also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/1._the_geology_and_botany.pdf
	Chapter 2.  The Amerindians and also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/2._the_amerindians.pdf
	Chapter 3.  The Carib Raid and also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/3._the_carib_raid.pdf
	Chapter 4.  The First Generation and also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/4._the_first_generation.pdf
	Chapter 5.  The Second Generation and also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/5._the_second_generation.pdf
	Chapter 6.  War and the Settlers and also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/6._war_and_the_settlers.pdf
	Chapter 7. The Leeward Islands [Part 1] The Leeward Islands [Part 2] And also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/7._the_leeward_islands.pdf
	Chapter 8.  Pirates and also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/8._pirates.pdf
	Chapter 9.  The Lure of Crab and also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/9._the_lure_of_crab.pdf
	Chapter 10. Crab Island Revisited [Part 1] Crab Island Revisited [Part 2] And also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/10._crab_island_revisited.pdf
	Chapter 11.  Cotton and Salt and also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/11._cotton_and_salt.pdf
	Chapter 12.  The French Wars also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/8._pirates.pdf [different chapter title]
	Chapter 13.  Resettlement Plans and also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/13._resettlement_plans.pdf
	Chapter 14. The Third and Fourth Generations [Part 1] The Third and Fourth Generations [Part 2] Also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/14._the_third_and_fourth_generations.pdf
	Chapter 15.  Settling St Croix also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/15._settling_st_croix.pdf
	Chapter 16.  Government Arrives also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/16._government_arrives.pdf
	Chapter 17.  The Council also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/17._the_council.pdf
	Chapter 18. Sugar Arrives [Part 1] Sugar Arrives [Part 2] Also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/18._sugar_arrives.pdf
	Chapter 19.  Conclusion also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/19._conclusion.pdf
2002, 8 July	Fact-Finding.  A presentation to the Magistrates’ Orientation Programme held in Antigua
2004, 18 February	Hallowed Ground  An after-dinner speech to the Attorneys General of the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories, at Peter Island in the Virgin Islands, while temporarily assigned to the High Court in Tortola
2004, 10 July	Recent Developments in Caricom Law.  A presentation to the participants at the 11th meeting of the Caribbean Association of Law Librarians in Nassau, Bahamas, on the coming into effect of the CSME
2006 - 2010	Corruption-free Anguilla Blog.  A collection of social commentary essays published over several years.
2006, 13 March	Ethics and Integrity in the Government of Anguilla  A presentation made at an Ethics and Integrity in Government Workshop, held in Antigua, March 13th–15th, 2006, with participation from Anguilla and the other BOTs in the Caribbean.
2006, 6 June	Constitutional and Electoral Reform:  The Situation So Far  The 6th Annual Social Security “Walter G Hodge Memorial Anguilla Day Lecture”.  A public lecture delivered at the House of Chandeliers, South Hill, Anguilla.  An early draft of the eventual Report of the 2006 Commission’s Report.
2006, 25 August	Report of the Constitutional and Electoral Reform Commission.  (Chairman, Don Mitchell)
2007, 15 March	40 Years of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.  A speech delivered by invitation to the Court and the Bar in Antigua on the 40th anniversary of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
2007, 1 March	Law and the Anguilla Revolution:  An article written for publication in the 40th Anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution Magazine.  Also published by the Anguilla Archaeology and Historical Society at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/law_and_the_anguilla_revolution.pdf
2008, 13 March	A Constitutional History of Anguilla.  A presentation to the Anguilla National Youth Council.  Based on the Introduction to the 2006 Report.  Also published by the Anguilla Archaeological and Historical Society at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/a_constitutional_history_of_anguilla.pdf
2010, 16 June	The Place-names of Anguilla.  A speech to the AGM of the Anguilla Archaeological and Historical Society
2010 – present	Don Mitchell's Published Papers Blog  A collection of papers that I may need to refer to when on line, and for which a link can be easily provided
2011, 18 March	Cultural Identity.  A presentation to the Youth Group of the Church of God (Holiness) at Pope Hill in Anguilla which examines some of the negative and some of the positive aspects of Anguilla culture, and which caused some of the “youth” to walk out of the Church Hall in protest
2011, 6 April	Compulsory Acquisition of Land in the Eastern Caribbean.  A presentation to the Offshore Alert Conference in Miami on 6 April 2011, answering allegations that US-owned private property in the Eastern Caribbean was at risk of arbitrary confiscation without compensation.
2011, 28 April	New Perspectives in Oppression: The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the West Indian Colonies in 2011:  A paper critical of the FCO’s failure to develop institutions of good government, delivered at the University of the West Indies ‘Anguilla Conference’ held at the National Bank of Anguilla Conference Room.  Also published in two parts on my Blog: Part 1,  https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2011/04/beyond-walls-part-1.html And, Part 2, https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2011/04/beyond-walls-part-2.html
2011, 17 November	Sexual Harassment.  A presentation to a Judges’ Colloquium on Gender and the Law, held in Castries, St Lucia.
2013, 4 January	Eulogy at Mother's Memorial Service.  Eulogy at the Memorial Service of Muriel Agnes Schleifer, formerly Mitchell, born Owen.
2014, 12 September	Election-related Litigation in the OECS: Withstanding Interlocutory Strike-out Applications.  A presentation at an OECS Bar Association Panel Discussion held during the 11th Regional Law Conference in Anguilla.
2015, 10 August	Government, Parliament and the Judiciary.  A presentation made to local, regional, and international parliamentarians at a post-general election seminar held at the La Vue Hotel Conference Room, South Hill, Anguilla.
2015, 3 October	A Corrupting Independence.  A paper read at the annual Island Dynamics Conference held at the University of Greenland in Nuuk on the theme, ‘Indigenous Resources: Decolonisation and Development’.
2016, 21 May	What Value Myth over History?  A presentation to the Anguilla Literary Festival meeting at CuisinArt Hotel in Anguilla.
2016, 6 April	The Public Accounts Committee in Anguilla.  A presentation to the PAC Workshop held at the House of Assembly on the topic, “Engaging Civil Society Organisations in the Work of the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Assembly of Anguilla.
2016, 16 September	Financial Regulatory Issues Affecting the Commonwealth Caribbean.  A presentation to the OECS Bar Association’s Annual Law Fair and Conference, held at the Sandals Grande Hotel in St Lucia.
2016, 3 November	Constitutional Reform - A Personal Perspective  A public presentation made at the Annual Law Week of the Grenada Bar Association in St George’s, Grenada.
2016, 3 December	Some of the Most Important Issues for Constitutional Reform.  A presentation to the Continuing Legal Education Seminar of the OECS Bar Council meeting in Anguilla.  A revised version of a public presentation previously made in Grenada.
2017, 27 February	Celebrating the Past, Embracing the Future.  A speech, delivered by invitation, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, 1967 – 2017. Also published on my Blog at https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2017/02/50-years-of-ecsc.html.  Also published at http://www.aahsanguilla.com/uploads/7/3/7/1/7371196/celebrating_the_past.pdf
2017, 31 March	Report of the Constitutional and Electoral Reform Committee.  (Don Mitchell, Chairman) (Delivered to the Executive Council of the Government of Anguilla)
2017, 12 September	Anguilla's Judicial System.  A presentation commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.  Also published on my Blog at https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2017/09/anguillas-judicial-system-1650-2017.html
2018, 8 June	The History and Evolution of the Court System in Anguilla.  A speech delivered at the launch of the Computerised Registry System at the Court House.  Also published on my Blog at https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2018/06/court-system-of-anguilla.html
2018, 28 October	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2018/10/debtors-jail_28.html An essay on the history of Debtor’s Prison in St Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla
2019, 24 January	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-hypoglycemia-defence-in-anguilla.html An essay on the risk of ordering filleted snapper in Anguilla
2019, 31 December	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-hypoglycemia-defence-in-anguilla.html An essay on Ronald Webster’s relationship with labour in Anguilla
2020, 5 May	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-hypoglycemia-defence-in-anguilla.html The Hypoglycemia defence in Anguilla
2021, 6 January	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2021/01/gods-mother-and-father.html An essay on God’s mother and father
2021, 6 January	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2021/01/on-god_6.html An essay on God
2021, 25 November	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2021/11/wallblake-airport-and-tintamarre-during.html A historical note on Wallblake and Tintamarre
2022, 24 February	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2022/02/roads-in-anguilla.html An essay critical of the handling in Anguilla of public and private roads
2022, 27 February	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2022/02/non-roads.html An essay critical of the abuse of the public roads system in Anguilla
2022, 3 June	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2022/06/taxis.html An essay on the risks presented by unregistered taxis in Anguilla
2022, 15 July	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2022/07/abandoned-estates-in-anguilla.html An essay on unadministered estates in Anguilla
2022, 11 November	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2022/11/casinos-soon-coming-to-anguilla.html A first essay critical of government’s proposal to introduce casinos to Anguilla
2022, 8 December	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2022/12/new-anguillian-morality.html An essay critical of government’s proposal to introduce casino gambling into Anguilla
2022, 16 December	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2022/12/modern-slavery-in-anguilla.html An essay on the abuse of foreign employees by employers in Anguilla
2023, 11 February	https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2023/02/integrity-in-public-service.html An essay on Integrity in the Public Service.
2023, 6 April	A Short History of Anguilla’s Parliament: A Presentation to members of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians Association meeting in Anguilla: https://donmitchellcbeqc.blogspot.com/2023/04/a-short-history-of-anguillas-parliament.html
	A series of six textbooks for CAPE Law students in Anguilla published by Emmanuel Publishing House of Dominica
2019	3rd Edition (with Stanley E Reid) as follows:
	Unit 2 - The Law of Tort for Anguilla
	Unit 2 - The Law of Contract for Anguilla
	Unit 2 – The Law of Real Property for Anguilla
	Unit 1 – Caribbean Legal Systems for Anguilla
	Unit 1 – Principles of Public Law for Anguilla
	Unit 1 – Criminal Law for Anguilla
	A series of six textbooks for CAPE Law students in Grenada also published by Emmanuel Publishing House of Dominica
	2nd Edition (with Jasmin Redhead) as follows:
	Unit 2 – The Law of Contract for Grenada
	Unit 2 - The Law of Tort for Grenada
	Unit 2 – The Law of Real Property for Grenada
	1st Edition (with Arya Redhead) as follows:
	Unit 1 – Caribbean Legal Systems for Grenada
	Unit 1 – Principles of Public Law for Grenada
	Unit 1 – Criminal Law for Grenada

Revised January 16, 2019

8 October 2019

10 May 2023