Three of this island’s legal luminaries were honoured by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Thursday.
Paying homage to former attorney general Sir Henry Forde, former attorney general and chief justice Sir David Simmons, and Sir Richard Cheltenham, judge of the Trinidad-based CCJ, Justice Winston Anderson, said it was necessary to thank such individuals for building the foundation upon which attorneys-at-law can build.
The three were part of a group of six selected from Barbados, which also included the late Sir Grantley Adams, the late Sir Jack Dear, and the late Sir Harold St John.
Anderson insisted that the list was not exhaustive but was representative of a larger group of people in Barbados who have made a tremendous contribution to the legal profession.
The judge outlined that since 2019, the CCJ’s Academy of Law had begun recognising outstanding Caribbean jurists and, in 2023, had made the decision to focus on the region’s legendary legal practitioners.
Giving a brief snippet about the lives of each of the honorees, he highlighted the dedication of these individuals to service and to helping their fellow man and nation.
Commending the CCJ for the event, Sir Patterson described Sir Richard – his brother – Sir Henry, and Sir David as “genuine and authentic” with a true skill for their craft.
“The tragedy is that these highly distinguished and skilled practitioners, very few members of the Bar know of them or have ever seen them in action. And the strange and ironic situation we have is that with such a high emphasis on written advocacy, the oral side seems to be diminishing,” he said.
During the ceremony, which was conducted in the judges’ lounge of the Supreme Court of Barbados before several justices and members of the legal fraternity, the living luminaries and the Chief Justice were presented with pins from the CCJ along with copies of its academy’s Legendary Caribbean Legal Practitioners.
Sir David extended thanks to the CCJ on behalf of himself and Sir Henry before expressing his gratitude to the latter for teaching him all he knew about the practice of law. Sir Richard recognised the contribution of his mother and his wife in his success in the profession.
