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Mrs. Sherry-Ann Liburd Charles

Personal Info

Mrs. Sherry – Ann Liburd – Charles a Nevisian by birth was called to the bar of St. Kitts and Nevis on 21st November 2008.

She holds a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours from the University of West Indies Cave Hill Campus and a Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, where she graduated at the top of her class obtaining the coveted award for Most Outstanding Student Over Two Years (2006-2008).

Mrs. Liburd Charles has over 16 years of experience in private practice. In 2020 she co-founded LIBURD CHARLES a boutique law firm located in Basseterre, St. Kitts. Mrs. Liburd – Charles specializes in civil litigation at all levels of the Court and made regular appearances before the Magistrate Court, High Court and Court of Appeal. Mrs. Liburd Charles is a trusted legal advisor and well versed in a number of practice areas including tort law, breach of contract, defamation, Real Estate, Contentious Probate proceedings, personal injury litigation, divorce and matrimonial property disputes and administrative and constitutional law.

Mrs. Liburd Charles has obtained a number of post graduate training and certifications, Most recent being the completion of a legal advocacy course in 2021 at Centre for Professional Development and Lifelong Learning (CPDLL), UWI and training in Judicial Settlement Conferencing in 2024.

During the period 2019 to 2024 Mrs. Liburd -Charles served as Vice – President of the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association.

Mrs. Liburd – Charles is a certified Community Mediator and a trained Court Connected Mediator since 2021. She is also a Notary Public, Justice of the Peace and Marriage Officer.

In April 2024, Mrs. Liburd Charles was elevated to the Bench where she currently sits as a District Magistrate.

Core Competencies

  • Negotiation
  • Team Building
  • Advocacy
  • Client Outreach
  • Communication
  • Proven Networking Skills
  • Research
  • Experienced Litigator
  • Focused

Experience

  • Litigation and Transactional experience
  • Conducting detailed research on applicable law in order to provide frank, unbiased and sound legal advice to clients.
  • Creating Strategic litigation plan that best serves client’s interest.
  • Providing legal advice and services to private and commercial clients on a wide range of real estate matters including the acquisition and sale of both commercial and residential properties, drafting and preparing leases and conveyancing documents.
  • Instituting and defending divorce petitions in the High Court, claims in the High Court for declaration of interest in matrimonial property, family business and other assets.
  • Negotiating settlements of ancillary issues consequent upon the breakdown of marriage or other union such as maintenance and custody including the preparation of separation agreements.
  • Preparing adoption applications.
  • Representing of clients in both the Magistrate Court and High Court in relation to Domestic violence applications, restraining orders and other protective injunctive relief.
  • Advising, drafting and preparing Pre – Nuptial agreements;
  • Providing advice on succession planning, preparation of Wills and preparation of applications for grants of probate and letters of administration and other related estate applications.
  • Providing Immigration services in connection with the Citizenship by Investment Programme.
  • Advising on Insurance claims, personal injury claims and employment related claims.
  • Advising on Insurance claims, personal injury claims and employment related claims.
  • Preparing assessments of damages in personal injury claims.
  • Providing legal opinions on insurance, immigration and other corporate matters.
  • Representing regional insurance houses and regional petroleum companies in St. Kitts and Nevis.
  • Instituting and Defending civil proceedings at all levels of the Court- Magistrate Court, High Court and Court of Appeal.
  • Defending criminal and quasi -criminal proceedings in the Magistrate Court.
  • Debt collection.
  • Successful negotiation of out of court settlements in numerous matters which negated the need for Court action.
  • Successful outcomes in a wide range of litigation matters.

Notable Cases / Decisions

1.  High Court Claim SKBHCV2015/0011 Hon. Mark Brantley (in his personal capacity and as a representative of the Concerned Citizens Movement), Dr. Hon. Timothy Harris (in his personal capacity and as representative of the Peoples Labour Party), Hon. Sam Condor (in his personal capacity and as representative of the Peoples Labour Party), Hon Shawn Richards (in his personal capacity and as representative of the People’s Action Movement) v CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES COMMISSION (being Mr. R.A. Peter Jenkins, Hon. Asim Martin, Hon. Marcella Liburd, Hon. Vance Amory, and Hon. Vincent Byron) and The Attorney General of St. Kitts and Nevis (as Representative of His Excellency the Governor General)
–represented the interest of the Constituency Boundaries Commission in a judicial review claim brought to quash the report of the Commission changing the Electoral Boundaries in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis in 2015.

2 . High Court Claim No. NEVHCV2021/0118 Michael J Prest v Magistrate District “C” , Corporal Randolph Diamond, Attorney General of St. Kitts and Nevis, Director of Public Prosecutions – represented a member of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force in a judicial review claim brought by an international businessman challenging the issue of warrants against him in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.

3. High Court Claim SKBHCV2010/0312 Shannoid Bass v Attorney General of St. Kitts and Nevis & Vernesia Williams (a successful claim by a private citizen against the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis for general and aggravated damages false imprisonment and wrongful arrest).

4. Court of Appeal SKBHCVAP2013/0016 Delta Petroleum Ltd v Othniel Hyliger & OOJJ’s Ltd (successful defence of a claim brought against private litigant by regional supplier of petroleum products on a commercial lease agreement)

5. High Court Claim No. NEVHCV2011/0121 Beyond Homes Ltd v Kevin Huggins ( a corporate litigant against a property Developer for breach of construction contract)

6. DHL GMbH v Marcel Hanley and Superior Services Limited ( a successful agency claim brought on behalf of an international courier company against its former agents)

7. High Court Claim No. SKBHCV2008/0221 Laurel James v Sun N’ Sand Limited (successfully defended a claim brought against a local hotel by a former employee for employer’s liability and negligence)

8. High Court Divorce No. SKBHMT2013/0007 Naaemah Hazelle Menon v Nicolas Menon – (matrimonial property dispute and ancillary matters)

9. High Court Divorce No.SKBHCV2010/0065 Shara Dasent v Cuthbert Mitcham (matrimonial property dispute)

Education – ACADEMIC awards and Prizes

  • The Council of Legal Education Principal’s Roll of Honour 2007/2008.
  • The Council of Legal Education Principal’s Roll of Honour 2006/2007.
  • The Council of Legal Education (Norman Manley Law School) Prize for Most Outstanding Student Over Two Years (2006-2008).
  • The Sir Colin Mac Gregor Memorial Prize (2008) for the Most Outstanding Student over 2 years in the areas of academic achievement, interest in legal aid, Norman Manley Law School and discipline and attitude to society.
  • The Harney, Westwood & Reigels Prize for Best Overall Overseas Student over 2 years (2006-2008)
  • The H. Aubrey Fraser Memorial Prize for Best Results in Ethics Rights and Obligations of the Legal profession.
  • The Raphel Codlin Prize for the Most Outstanding Student over two years.
  • The Samuda and Johnson Prize for Best overall academic performance, advocacy and participation in community development – based activities.
  • The Keithley Lake & Associates and the Daniel Brantley & Associates Scholarship (2008).
  • The Michael March Memorial Prize for the Law of Remedies (2007).
  • Best Results for Year 1 Law examinations 2003-2004 at Cave Hill Campus.
  • The Sir Gaston Johnson Prize for Best Results in Criminal Law 1 and 2 Cave Hill Campus.
  • Sir Richard Cheltenham Scholarship for Academic Excellence 2004-2006.
  • University of the West Indies Academic Bursary (2004).

POST GRADUATE training/certificates

  • Judicial Settlement Conferencing Training (2024)
  • Certificate of Completion of Course in Legal Advocacy, Centre for Professional Development and Lifelong Learning (CPDLL), UWI, 2021
  • Presenter at the Nevis Financial Services AML/CFT Conference, Four Seasons Resort, Nevis, March 2019
  • Contributor to the World Bank Group Doing Business 2019 report
  • Contributor to the World Bank Group Doing Business 2017 report: Equal Opportunity for All, 2017
  • OECS Bar Association 14th Regional Law Conference, Dominica, September 2017
  • OECS Bar Association 13th Regional Law Conference, St. Lucia, September 2016
  • The Nevis Financial Services (Regulation and Supervision) Department 2016 AML/CFT Awareness Seminar and Training Workshop, March 2016
  • Certified Community Mediator - Impact Justice Mediation Training, St. Kitts, October, 2015
  • OECS Bar Association 12th Regional Law Conference, Grenada, September 2015
  • Appointed Notary Public for Saint Christopher and Nevis by the Acting Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, August, 2015.
  • Saint Christopher and Nevis Accreditation Board Sensitization Seminar, June, 2014
  • Called to the Bar of the St. Christopher and Nevis Circuit of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, November, 2008

Professional Affiliations / Designations

  • Justice of the Peace and Marriage Officer (2024)
  • Trained Court Connected Mediator (2021)
  • Vice President St. Kitts & Nevis (SKN) Bar Association 2019 to 2024
  • Chairperson Magistrate Bar/Bench Subcommittee of the SKN Bar Association – 2015 to 2019
  • Council Member SKN Bar Association – April, 2014 to 2016, 2019 to 2024
  • OECS Bar Association - Affiliate, 2015 to present
  • Key Note Speaker at Gingerland High School Graduation Ceremony – 2012
  • Mentor – Hope Tears Mentorship Program – 2011 to 2013

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