Her Worship Mrs. Natasha Burian has been appointed as Master of the Supreme Court of Seychelles on Friday 12 November 2021 in a ceremony at State House following recommendations made by the Constitutional Appointments Authority to the President of the Republic as provided for in Article 127 of the Constitution of the Republic of Seychelles.
The Chief Justice Rony Govinden, Justice Fiona Robinson, and Registrar of the Supreme Court were in attendance to represent the Judiciary.
Mrs. Burian holds a degree in Law from the University of Reading, United Kingdom and completed her Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) with City University London. She was called to the Bar in July 2011 and is a member of the Honorable Society of the Inner Temple.
Mrs. Burian started her career at the Chambers of Mr. Frank D.R Ally (current Attorney-General) where she practiced for over five years. In March 2016 she took up the position of Vice-Chairperson of the Family Tribunal and in May 2017 she joined the Judiciary as a Magistrate.
Prior to her appointment as Master of the Supreme Court, she also occupied the position of Chairperson of the Employment Tribunal, the Rent Board and Mental Health Care Tribunal.
Mrs. Burian is in the process of completing her Masters in Criminal Justice and Criminology with the University of London. Apart from her work with the Judiciary, she is an active member of The Ocean Project Seychelles with the mission to educate people of all ages across the country on the threats of marine debris to the oceans, marine and human life and the engage people to take action and stop debris from entering our oceans.
The Jurisdiction and Powers of a Master of the Supreme Court are specified in S.I.19 of 2008 (supplement to official gazette (21/4/2008). A Master shall hear and determine any matter under the Seychelles Code of Civil Procedure or such other enactment as the Chief Justice determine, which is of an interlocutory nature.
In exercising such functions as provided in rule 2, a Master shall have the power and jurisdiction to deal with matters, including the following:
- Uncontested appointment and confirmation of executors;
- Uncontested appointment of fiduciaries;
- Rectification of entries in the Birth and Death Registers;
- Application for late registration of births;
- Uncontested divorce cases;
- Orders in the nature of provisional seizures, attachments, inhibitions, cautions and restrictions and interim injunctions;
- Review of payments by judgement debtors excluding issuing of warrants for arrest and examination of judgement debtors as to their means prior to committal.