Magistrate Ms Nicole Stoneham has been appointed as a Puisne Judge of the Bermuda Supreme Court.

Governor, Mr George Fergusson, announced the appointment today.

It follows a recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Services Committee set up by the Governor in November 2013 to advise him on judicial and legal appointments.

Mr Fergusson said: “I am very pleased indeed to appoint Ms Stoneham to this important role. In particular, she will bring very valuable experience and commitment to the Family Court, where such issues as child safeguarding have a growing importance.”

Ms Stoneham is expected to take up her appointment in June, following the retirement of Justice Norma Wade-Miller at the end of May.

Ms Stoneham has served as magistrate since 2010, mainly in the Family Court. She was appointed substantively as a magistrate in 2012.

She was born in Bermuda and attended Purvis Primary School, Warwick Academy and the Bermuda High School for Girls. She continued her education at Dalhousie University, with a degree in English Literature and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB Hons) from Buckingham University in the UK.

Ms Stoneham was called to the Bar of England & Wales (Gray’s Inn) in 1992 and to the Bermuda Bar in 1993.

Before her appointment to the Magistrate’s Court, she was a Crown counsel in the Attorney-General’s Chambers (1995-2000) and worked with the Bermuda law firms of Trott & Duncan (1993-1994) and Milligan-Whyte & Smith (2000-2002). She also spent a number of years in private corporate practice and as in-house Counsel within the financial services industry.