During a courtesy call held this morning at State House, President Dr Patrick Herminie met with Mr Anthony Fernando, the former President of the Court of Appeal of Seychelles.

During the meeting, President Herminie paid tribute to Mr Fernando on behalf of the Republic of Seychelles and all Seychellois for his many years of dedicated service to the country's judiciary. The President also acknowledged Mr Fernando's distinguished legal career spanning 47 years, during which he made significant contributions to the administration of justice in Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Fiji.

Justice Anthony Francis Tissa Fernando was sworn in as President of the Court of Appeal of Seychelles on 1 June 2020 by the President of the Republic of Seychelles. He served in this position until his retirement.

Justice Fernando was first appointed as a Justice of the Court of Appeal of Seychelles in 2009. Prior to that, he served as Attorney General of Seychelles from January 1999 to 2009. He joined the Attorney General's Department in 1991 and was promoted to Principal State Counsel in 1992.

Before relocating to Seychelles, Justice Fernando served for 11 years as a State Counsel and Senior State Counsel in the Attorney General's Department of Sri Lanka, having been admitted to the Bar in Sri Lanka in 1979. Since 2015, he has also served as a Visiting Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of Fiji.

In addition to his judicial and legal career, Justice Fernando has made significant contributions to legal scholarships. His publications include books and articles in theCommonwealth Law Bulletincovering constitutional law, election law, criminal law, maritime piracy, and international arbitration. He has also been a guest speaker at numerous international conferences, where he has presented papers on subjects including international cooperation in criminal justice, anti-corruption initiatives, and arbitration under the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

Responding to the President's tribute, Justice Fernando expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the people of Seychelles and all those who had placed their trust in him throughout his 47 years in the legal profession. He said it had been an honour and a privilege to serve the country's jurisdiction to the best of his ability.