News & Events
News & Events
We are delighted to announce that Joshua Hitchens has been appointed to be a Commissioner of the Equality and Human Rights Commission of St Helena. Joshua received his warrant of appointment from His Excellency the Governor to be a Member of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights for a period of three years with effect from 18 May 2026 following the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission. This appointment follows Joshua’s involvement in a number of human rights and equality cases on the South Atlantic British Overseas Territory in recent years. Joshua has a keen interest in the law of the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, having been instructed both in the Channel Islands and British Overseas Territories on a number of matters. Find…
News 29 May, 2026
The Supreme Court of St Helena has handed down judgment in the constitutional case of Buckley v the Attorney General in which Josh Hitchens acted for the Plaintiff. Mr Buckley was a remand prisoner detained in HMP Jamestown, a prison which has been repeatedly condemned as inadequate and unsuitable. At the end of trial, the Defendant conceded that the unsafe conditions within the prison violated the Defendant’s positive obligations under the Plaintiff’s Constitutional right to life. In his judgment, the Chief Justice endorsed that concession, and also found that the conditions in the prison breached Mr Buckley’s constitutional rights to be free from inhuman or degrading treatment, to dignity, and his constitutional rights as a remand prisoner. The judge accepted…
News 11 Oct, 2024
