Sir Edward Zacca (26 July 1931 – 11 November 2019) was chief justice of the

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from 1985 to 1996. Under the Constitution of Jamaica, the chief justice of Jamaica serves as acting

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when that office is vacant, and Chief Justice Zacca served in that capacity from March to August 1991. Zacca was succeeded as Chief Justice by the Hon. Mr. Justice Lensley Wolfe. He became a member of

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in 1992. Zacca was first appointed as Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for

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on 21 October 1996. He became President of the Court on 1 January 2004, serving through 2014.

Early life and education

Zacca was born on 26 July 1931 to Wadie and Angel Zacca. Edward Zacca married Hope Margaret, the daughter of George Haddad (J.P. and Merchant) and Nellie Haddad on 19 October 1958. They had three children together: Christopher, Karen, and Edward, Jr. Zacca attended Kingston College from 1941 to and was called to the Bar in

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, London, on 9 February 1954. From 1952 to 1953 he was the President of the Hans Crescent Colonial Students' Residence, London.

Career

On 29 June 1954, Zacca was admitted to practice and was appointed Clerk of Courts January 1958. He became Acting Resident Magistrate for St. Catherine, RM for St. Mary and St. James (1960–65) and RM for St. Andrew (1965–1968). He was subsequently appointed, High Court Judge, Justice of Appeal, and President Court of Appeal, Jamaica. On 2 January 1985, he was sworn in as Chief Justice of Jamaica by

Florizel Glasspole Sir Florizel Augustus Glasspole (25 September 1909 – 25 November 2000), was the third and longest-serving governor-general of Jamaica, in office from 1973 to 1991. Early life and education Florizel Glasspole was born in Kingston, Jamaica ...

at King's House. He served as acting

from March to August 1991. Zacca was elevated up to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom when he was accepted by the Privy Council on 1 September 1992 to one of its members. Zacca was the fourth Caribbean Chief Justice to be appointed to the Privy Council and the first from Jamaica. Here he was not allowed to sit on any appeal being heard from Jamaica by the

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, some Commonwealth countries and a few institutions in the United Kingdom. Established on 14 Augus ...

, but he was eligible to do so for appeals from other Caribbean and Commonwealth countries. He retired as Chief Justice of Jamaica on 25 July 1996 after giving 38 years in the judicial service. He was also president of the Court of Appeal of

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and of the Court of Appeal of the

Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...

. He served as

president of the Court of Appeal of the Bahamas The President of the Court of Appeal of the Bahamas heads the Court of Appeal of the Bahamas. Legal basis The position of President of the Court of Appeal is authorised by Article 98(2)(a) of the Constitution of the Bahamas. Under Article 98(2)(b), ...

from March 2000 to July 2001.

Honours

Edward Zacca was a member of the

Order of Jamaica The Order of Jamaica is the fifth of the six orders in the Jamaican honours system. The Order was established in 1969, and it is considered the equivalent of a knighthood in the British honours system. Membership in the Order can be conferred upon ...

.The Order of Jamaica
He was also a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, which confers the right to the prenominal style "The Right Honourable". He was knighted in the

2015 Birthday Honours The 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as p ...

, as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zacca, Edward 20th-century Jamaican judges Presidents of the Court of Appeal of the Bahamas Members of the Order of Jamaica Jamaican members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Chief justices of Jamaica Governors-General of Jamaica 1931 births 2019 deaths Jamaican knights Jamaican judges on the courts of the Bahamas Jamaican judges on the courts of the Cayman Islands Jamaican judges on the courts of the Turks and Caicos Islands Jamaican judges on the courts of Bermuda Jamaican Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Jamaican people of Lebanese descent