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Trailblazers in law faculty at UWI Cave Hill return ‘home’

by Shamar Blunt
3 min read
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The first cohort of students in the Faculty of Law at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus were honoured yesterday as current students and staff reflected on the accomplishments of the “trailblazers” since their graduation 51 years ago.

Principal Professor Clive Landis welcomed home the Class of 1973, which included President Dame Sandra Mason, as they marked the faculty’s 50th anniversary with a ceremony on the campus that included the unveiling of a plaque in their honour of the inaugural class.

He noted that the establishment of the Faculty of Law, the first faculty to be created on the campus, triggered a wave of new faculties and told the founding cohort of students that they “would always have a special place, not only in the historical annals of the campus but also for the ethos of excellence that you bequeathed our academy”.

UWI Cave Hill Campus Principal Professor Clive Landis with one of the members of the Class of 1973, President Dame Sandra Mason.

Professor Landis praised them as trailblazers in the field of law, not only in Barbados but throughout the region. He noted that the Class of 1973 produced many of the region’s esteemed luminaries who have occupied the highest public offices in the legal profession, as well as political leaders, policymakers, and heads of state.

“From landmark cases, groundbreaking legislation, service in the highest courts and legal offices, and contributions to legal education, your fingerprints are etched on the very fabric of the Caribbean legal system,” the university principal said.

“I am certain that upon stepping back into the hallowed halls of this faculty once more, memories of late-night study sessions, passionate debates, and the forging of lifelong friendships flooded your hearts. As you retrace your steps and reconnect with old colleagues, indulge yourself, reflect on the journey that brought you back here today – the pioneering path that you took to courtrooms and boardrooms and legislative chambers and chambers of justice. Though we stand here humbled by your presence, we take delight in knowing that your impact has been profound.”

A plaque with the names of the 1973 graduating class was unveiled during the ceremony.

Malcolm Adderley, a Bahamian national who was in the initial cohort, pointed out that his classmates, who came from various backgrounds from around the region, recognised the significant responsibility they carried to help shape the legal landscape in the Caribbean in a post-colonial era.

“We were the trailblazers and understood the role we were expected to play. We studied hard and had a burning desire to be under the law as best as we could,” he said. 

“Our mission was not just to attain a law degree that would guarantee financial stability and social acceptance; we realised that we had a much higher calling. Our mission was to pave the road that would eventually lead to a new Caribbean legal culture, a developing Caribbean jurisprudence, one that would involve a better life for people in our respective territories. We were part of a historical context in which we were witnessing the birth of a new Caribbean legal system, incorporating the cultural, the social, the economic and political context. That was our destiny.” 

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