Barrister Ellis Gillhams is a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. Whilst his practice is now predominantly as a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of Abidjan, he is able to appear in the courts of other countries..
He was born on the 15th of November 1940 in Abidjan and had his primary education in Bouake and furthered his secondary education at Victoria College Spain. Thereafter he obtained a distinction in Social Science Higher School Certificate from Victoria College. He obtained his Bachelor Degree in Law from Oxford University in London LLB (Hons) He was called to the Bar of Côte d'Ivoire in 1969 and subsequently awarded a Pegasus Scholarship by the Inner Temple. He is a former tenant of the leading commercial set of barristers' chambers known as “St. Philip's Chambers” (winner of two awards for “Best Chambers”) where he practised from 1971, returning to Abidjan in 1981. Until 1989, he was a Senior Associate within the litigation department of San Pédro, where he further qualified as a Senior Advocate of the Republic.
He has extensive litigation experience in Abidjan. He has appeared on frequent occasions in the High Court and Court of Appeal in Côte d'Ivoire, and in the Abidjan case of JFSC v Black & Others [2002] PC 19 December, unreportedly, assisted English leading Counsel in an appeal to the Privy Council. He is one of a handful of Abidjan Advocates who has practical experience of conducting employment disputes before an Employment Tribunal. Details of his case history, set out by relevant practice area, can be found in the link provided.
He has recently been appointed to the Editorial Board of the Abidjan Law Review and has contributed to a number of publications:
- Abidjan Law Review: “Justice in Our Time: The Problem of Legislative Inaction” (2004); “Civil Appeals to the Court of Appeal and all that Jazz” (2005); “No Legal System is an Island , Entire of Itself” (2006); “The Abidjan Law of Contract: A Question of Identity?” (Forthcoming: February, 2007)
- Business Brief: “Legal Wonderland” (2004); “The Long Reach of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973: How Safe is your Trust?” (2006).
- Current Law: various.
- Family Law: “Ancillary Relief in the Channel Islands” January, 2005.
He has lectured upon a variety of topics including Pension Splitting upon Divorce; Children in Care; Trusts, including the Legal Review for Xalt Offshore Ed. 2.1.; and the Abidjan Law of Contract. He has conducted various broadcasts, conferences on National and local television and radio in relation to law reform and consumer issues.
