The Right Honourable the Lord Mark Saville of Newdigate PC, The Honourable Kenneth Hayne AC, The Right Honourable Sir Peter Blanchard KNZM and William Stone SBS QC bring global status to ADGM Courts (photographed from left to right below).

Abu Dhabi, UAE 9 November 2015: Abu Dhabi Global Market (“ADGM”), the international financial centre in Abu Dhabi, today announced the appointment of four judges to the Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts; Lord Mark Saville of Newdigate PC, The Hon. Kenneth Hayne AC, Sir Peter Blanchard KNZM and William Stone SBS QC.

All four judges will be responsible for presiding over ADGM’s legal framework through ADGM Courts of the First Instance and of Appeal. ADGM Courts is one of the three independent authorities within ADGM and will have jurisdiction over all civil and commercial disputes on Al Maryah Island.

Commenting on the appointments, His Excellency Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Chairman of ADGM, said: “The appointment of four highly respected and qualified judges to ADGM Courts has further strengthened ADGM’s judicial capacity. The appointees bring vast experience and reaffirm ADGM’s commitment to instituting a world class and robust legal framework for local, regional and global organisations as they establish a business presence in our financial centre.”

The Right Honourable Lord David Hope, Chief Justice of Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts, commented: “I am delighted that judges of such outstanding calibre and experience have been willing to join us to serve as Judges to ADGM Courts. Their presence will serve to emphasise the character of the Courts as institutions of international excellence, and our commitment to providing a service for the resolution of disputes that is of the highest quality.”

Brief Biographies:

The Right Honourable the Lord Saville of Newdigate PC

The Right Honourable the Lord Saville of Newdigate PC was appointed a Judge of the High Court of the United Kingdom in 1985 and for some years was in charge of the Commercial Court. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 1994, and became a Law Lord on his appointment to the House of Lords in 1997. In 2009, when the Law Lords became Justices of the new Supreme Court, he became a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. He retired in 2010, but remains active as an international arbitrator specialising in commercial matters. He was educated at Rye Grammar School and Brasenose College, Oxford. He studied law at university and obtained first class degrees (BA and BCL). He is currently President of the Academy of Experts.

The Honourable Kenneth Hayne AC

The Honourable Kenneth Hayne AC served as a Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1997 to 2015. Prior to joining the High Court, he was one of the founding members and appointees of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria, which was established in 1995. He was appointed a Companion in the Order of Australia in 2002. He holds the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws with honours from the University of Melbourne. Following selection as the Rhodes Scholar for Victoria in 1969, he received a Bachelor of Civil Law at Oxford University (Honours). He is an Honorary Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford and an Honorary Professorial Fellow of the University of Melbourne.

The Right Honourable Sir Peter Blanchard KNZM

The Right Honourable Sir Peter Blanchard KNZM served as a Judge in the senior courts of New Zealand for 20 years, spending over 16 of those years as an appellate Judge. He was appointed a member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and became an original member of the Supreme Court of New Zealand when it replaced the Privy Council as New Zealand’s highest court in 2004, receiving a Knighthood in 2009. Sir Peter gained LL.M degrees from the University of Auckland in 1968 and from Harvard University in 1969. At Harvard, he held both Fulbright and Frank Knox fellowships.

William Stone SBS QC

William Stone SBS QC was appointed to the High Court of Hong Kong in 1997 and was placed in charge of the Commercial List within the High Court. He ran the Commercial Court for 15 years. In 2011, upon achieving the statutory retirement age of 65, Justice Stone left the High Court Bench. Upon his retirement he was accorded the Silver Bauhinia Star in recognition of his distinguished service in the judiciary, particularly his handling of heavy and complex cases and his contribution in leading the Commercial Court. He remains active as an international arbitrator and mediates in international commercial disputes. Justice Stone holds the degrees of LL.B and LL.M, and was called to the English Bar as a member of Gray’s Inn. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is an accredited mediator.

ADGM Courts is headed by Chief Justice The Right Honourable Lord David Hope. Earlier this month ADGM Courts announced the appointment of Linda Fitz-Alan as its Registrar and Chief Executive. ADGM Courts regulations and rules are currently undergoing open market consultation and are scheduled to be enacted before the end of the year.