The Bahamas government has confirmed the death of Chief Justice Stephen Gerard Isaacs.
In a statement expressing the government’s “profound regret” it said the head of the judiciary, who was sworn into office just two weeks ago, died in hospital on Friday.
A “judge’s judge”
The statement gave no details about his illness, but noted that “throughout Justice Isaac’s career (he) was universally lauded as being a “judge’s judge”; of being, in all things, the epitome of the highest standard of conduct of a judicial officer; and for upholding the Rule of Law, justice, order and proper decorum in his courtroom.”
Justice Isaac, 63, was called to the Bahamas Bar in 1982 and began his judicial career in 1994 when he was appointed Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court.
“During an illustrious career, Chief Justice Isaacs served also as Registrar of the Court of Appeal, and on the Industrial Tribunal, before being appointed to the Higher Judiciary as a Supreme Court Justice in September 2002, when he assumed office as an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court and was stationed in Freeport, Grand Bahama.,” the government statement noted.
In 2015 he was promoted to the rank of Senior Justice of the Supreme Court, and in December 2017 was appointed Acting Chief Justice. He was confirmed to the substantive post of Chief Justice of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, by Governor General, effective the July 9, this year.
A cruel irony
Opposition Leader Philip Davis described his death as a cruel irony, noting that Justice Isaacs was a “good Bahamian”, who had done his best to administer the law without fear or favor. “His life was not easy. He rose up from difficult personal circumstances to reach the top of his profession. It is often one of the cruel ironies of this life that just as you reach the top, the final curtain is drawn,” Davies said in a statement.
