Judicial Community Bids Fond Farewell to “Fair and Fearless” Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn
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By Alric Lindsay
The Cayman Islands judiciary gathered on Friday for a bittersweet valedictory ceremony to honour Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn as she concludes her distinguished career in the jurisdiction. Magistrate Gunn is set to transition to the United Kingdom, where she has been appointed as a Circuit Judge on the Northern Circuit, based at Preston Crown Court, effective February 2, 2026.
Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale led the tributes, praising Gunn’s “intellectual rigor, integrity, and independence”. The Chief Justice noted that Gunn’s service has been defined by a rare balance of efficiency and humanity, particularly in her work with the Drug Rehabilitation Court. “She has enforced her judicial role with the seriousness of purpose and consistency of principle,” the Chief Justice remarked, noting that Gunn’s well-reasoned decisions were rarely overturned on appeal.
A Legacy of “Steel and Courtesy”
The Director of Public Prosecutions highlighted Gunn’s “unwavering commitment to fairness,” recalling how she never treated the work of the court as routine nor the individuals before her as anonymous. Speakers often used the words “fair and fearless” to describe her tenure, noting a “no-nonsense” approach to case management that remained tempered by compassion.
Representatives from the Bar and the Solicitor General’s office emphasized her significant contributions to child protection and family law. Gunn was credited with presiding over some of the most complex matters under the Children Act, delivering a comprehensive 55-page ruling in December 2025 that provided vital guidance for improving local child protection practices.
“A Uniquely Cayman Journey”
Though her next chapter takes her to the “bracing” climate of North-West England, speakers described her professional journey as “uniquely Cayman”. Gunn first joined the Cayman Islands Government legal department in 2006 as a prosecutor, later becoming the jurisdiction’s first Financial Crime Specialist. After a brief period in Bermuda, she returned to the Cayman bench in 2012.
In her closing remarks, Her Honour Judge Gunn—as she will now be titled—thanked the community for twenty years of friendship and camaraderie. “I’ve raised my child here and I feel connected to the people,” she said. “For many years I’ve considered this my home, and I think I always will”.
