The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Academy for Law, headquartered in Trinidad, recently unveiled a roster of 48 outstanding Caribbean legal professionals hailing them as “legendary Caribbean legal practitioners.”
In an endeavor to acknowledge the remarkable impact these individuals have had on the legal landscape, the CCJ announced its third installment of the “Eminent Caribbean Jurists” series.
Legal luminaries through the ages
The CCJ’s selection comprises a diverse group of legal luminaries who have left an indelible mark on various epochs of Caribbean law and development.
Jamaican national hero and former premier, Norman Manley, stands among them, alongside former Barbados Prime Minister Sir Grantley Adams and Sir Harold “Bree” St John.
The list also includes luminaries such as former Trinidad and Tobago Governor General Sir Ellis Clarke, the first CCJ President Michael De La Bastide, and Sir Hugh Wooding, after whom The University of the West Indies (UWI) law school in Trinidad is named.
Jamaican legal titans honored
Jamaican legal excellence is well-represented on this esteemed list. JAG Smith, Vivian O Blake, KC, David Coore, KC, Justice Dennis Morrison, KC, Justice Hilary Phillips, KC, Frank Phipps, KC, Ian Ramsay, KC, Dr. Lloyd Barnett, and Dr. Kenneth Rattray, KC, have all earned their place among the Caribbean legal elite.
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A regional tapestry of legal pioneers
The CCJ Academy’s selection extends beyond Jamaican shores, encompassing figures like Sir Lionel Alfred Luckhoo, Sir Fenton Ramsahoye, Professor JOF Haynes of Guyana, Sir WH Courtenay of Belize, Sir Lee Moore of St Kitts-Nevis, and Sir Vincent Floissac of St Lucia.
Championing legal legacy
The CCJ Academy, serving as the educational arm of the CCJ, established the “Eminent Caribbean Jurists: Legendary Caribbean Legal Practitioners Award” series in 2019 to celebrate the invaluable contributions of Caribbean jurists to the realm of law and societal development.
An unveiling of legal legends
The selection process involved the Regional Selection and Advisory Committee, which convened for the first time on September 27 of last year.
Nominations poured in from bar associations, judiciaries, journalists, the Council for Legal Education, and law schools, among others. With 115 nominations received, a meticulous process led to the final selection of 48 recipients, taking into account both regional and temporal diversity.
Preserving the legal legacy
As part of this initiative, each honoree received a brief profile composed of carefully chosen essayists.
These profiles will be compiled into a publication, slated for release in January 2024, to immortalize the remarkable contributions of these legal pioneers to the development of law in the Caribbean.
The CCJ Academy aspires to inspire the younger generation of practitioners through this publication, following the success of their previous publications that celebrated Caribbean legal personalities.
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