The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court denied allegations that the courts were discriminatory in their hiring practices.

Chief Justice Austin Ward stated -- in a prepared statement -- that the staff hired for the Supreme Court had to meet the highest standards possible, "whether Bermudian or non-Bermudian''.

Mr. Ward was refuting claims made by a court source who earlier this week told The Royal Gazette that the Supreme Court was not supporting Bermudianisation in the workplace.

The source said the Bermudian temporary secretary to a Puisne Judge was told that they wanted to "try out other temps'' and was dismissed in favour of a foreign worker.

The source added that the administrative assistant to the Chief Justice was given a one-year contract despite applications from qualified Bermudians.

And she said that Bermuda Government Employment was bypassed altogether when searching for temps.

But Mr. Ward said the temporary secretary to a Puisne Judge, hired to replace a Bermudian temp was Bermudian.

"We are not discriminating against Bermudians,'' he said. "We have a service to provide that requires a high level of efficiency and accuracy.

"All we are trying to do is get the best person for the job,'' he added.

The Chief Justice said he was not prepared to request that job descriptions be altered on the basis of race.

Applications for the position of secretary to a Puisne Judge closed on August 6, and no one had yet been selected to fill the position, he noted.

And he refuted claims that Ms Beryl Tunnicliffe was hired as his administrative assistant after being in Bermuda for only two days.

He said Ms Tunnicliffe was first sent to the court as a temp and had been on the Island for six months before she was offered the job on a one-year contract.

Mr. Justice Ward added that she was offered the job only after a Bermudian who had acted in the position found the tasks "too onerous''.