‘Accidental’ jurist Kissock Laing appreciative of national honour

For Justice Kissock Laing, being a judge was never part of the plan. But today, he is not only living his dream at the highest levels of the judiciary, but has been bestowed with a national honour for his remarkable contribution to justice.

The beaming and affable jurist was awarded membership in the prestigious Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD) yesterday during the annual Ceremony of Investiture and Presentation of National Honours and Awards at King’s House in St Andrew.

Reflecting on his career, Laing said his journey started around 2000 in the lower courts, where he spent five years before moving to the Eastern Caribbean, where he practised for a while.

He later returned to Jamaica in 2015 to serve in the Supreme Court. After acting as a Court of Appeal judge for three years, he was officially appointed earlier this year.

Laing described his recent appointment as the “crowning glory of his career”.

“There are only 13 Court of Appeal judges, and there are many judges in the Supreme Court who are tremendously capable … so it’s a testament to my hard work, and I appreciate that,” he said.

“I’m enjoying the Court of Appeal family and what we do there – the collaborative effort and the sense of family that we have in the Court of Appeal, sitting together with other judges discussing matters as opposed to just doing it by yourself when you’re in the Supreme Court,” he added.

EMBRACING THE JOURNEY

Although his path to law was unplanned, Laing embraces the journey.

“I never really dreamt of being a lawyer, but because of my subject choices in high school ... ,” he shared. “I think I was not quite sure what I wanted to do for a long time and I’m kind of thankful that this happened the way it did, albeit kind of accidentally.”

Laing recalled not being accepted into the Faculty of Law on his first application and having to settle for a year in the Faculty of Social Sciences before successfully transferring into Law.

“I liked the sciences, too, but my brain wasn’t wired for it. So law just worked out for me, and I’m thankful it did.”

On the realities of being a judge, Laing pointed out that much of the work happens outside of court.

“Hearing the cases is probably the easiest part,” he said.

He noted that the real work lies in the preparation before hearings, followed by writing judgments – sometimes late into the night or even during vacations.

“We’re always writing, and regardless of how hard you work, you can never clear the backlog of cases,” he said.

In this regard, the judge said that finding balance is important, sharing that he makes time for exercise and hobbies he enjoys such as painting, drawing, and playing his guitar.

PLEASED WITH MODERNISATION

Asked about what improvements he would like to see in the courts, Laing said he is pleased with the chief justice’s drive to modernise the court system, while sharing that he was asked to lead a committee looking at the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the courtroom.

“And so we now have a practice direction guiding persons on how you can use AI in the court properly without running afoul of the law and procedure. And we also [have] an internal policy document guiding judges and judicial officers on how you can use [AI] in your day-to-day work – for research, for summarising cases,” Laing added.

He said he is now looking forward to the implementation of voice-to-text recording of evidence, which could speed up court processes considerably.

To young judges, he offers this advice:

“Work hard, but don’t be consumed by the law. Take care of yourself. Your judgments will speak for you – you don’t have to shout about what you are doing. Your reputation is built on solid work.

“Don’t fear making mistakes. Everybody is going to get a judgment wrong, but it’s a learning process, and you can’t allow that to stop you from giving the best decision you think you’re capable of.”

He also encouraged them to prioritise fairness and justice while being guided by the parameters of the law of the land.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com