Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 1 August 2017: The DIFC Courts sadly announce the peaceful passing of Sir Anthony Colman after a short illness in hospital in England on the 27th July 2017.
Sir Anthony Colman was appointed as a Judge of the DIFC Courts from 2008, serving as Deputy Chief Justice from June 2010 until his retirement in May 2013. From 2013 onwards, Sir Anthony continued as a Judge at the Courts, overseeing ongoing cases initiated before his retirement.
Throughout his time with the DIFC Courts, Sir Anthony was instrumental in the development of the jurisprudence of the Courts, delivering many landmark judgments that laid down foundational principles for the development of DIFC law. He was universally admired by his colleagues on the Bench, as well as by the lawyers who appeared before him.
Sir Anthony Colman joined the DIFC Courts with an immense record of achievement in the field of commercial law and the management of commercial courts, having served as the Head of the English Commercial Court and written the definitive textbook on its procedures and practices.
“Sir Anthony’s contributions to the development of our Courts in their formative years were far-reaching and helped immeasurably to enhance our reputation as one of the world’s leading commercial courts” commented DIFC Courts Chief Justice Michael Hwang. “The DIFC Courts have lost one of our pioneer judges: we mourn his passing and acknowledge his great role in our history. We have also lost a respected former colleague and a dear friend, whose memory will live on in our hearts. We extend our sincerest condolences to Sir Anthony’s wife, Lady Angela Colman and their family at this sad time.”
