Salute to a legal luminary - Honourable Dr Lloyd Barnett, OJ

Last week Wednesday, the General Legal Council held a function in honour of the Honourable Dr Lloyd Barnett, OJ, upon his retirement from the General Legal Council after more than 40 years of sterling service to that organisation.

The function was attended by most of the heavy- weights in the legal profession, which included the following: Chief Justice, the Honourable Justice Mrs Zaila McCalla; former Chief Justice, the Honourable Justice Sir Edward Zacca; President of the Court of Appeal, the Honourable Mr Justice C. Dennis Morrison; former President of the Court of Appeal, the Honourable Mr Justice Seymour Panton; Chairman of the General Legal Council, Michael Hylton, QC; several members of the judiciary; many Queen's Counsels and other distinguished members of the bar. Members of staff of the General Legal Council and the family of Dr. Barnett were also in attendance.

Dr Barnett is a graduate of Calabar High School and after obtaining his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law degrees, he went on to successfully pursue the masters and doctorate degrees in law. He was admitted to practise in Jamaica in 1960 and served at the public bar in the Attorney General's Chambers and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions before he entered private practice.

A gifted researcher and prolific writer, Dr Barnett has authored many legal articles as well as two books, namely, The Constitutional Law of Jamaica and The Jamaican Constitution - Basic Facts and Questions. Through his writings and work in the area of constitutional law, he now stands tall as a Caribbean constitutional lawyer of fine repute.

In his yeoman service to the legal profession in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, Dr Barnett has served in various capacities - too many for them all to be mentioned in this forum. Of particular note, however, he has served as an independent senator; president of The Jamaican Bar Association and the Organisation of Commonwealth Caribbean Bar Associations; chairman of the General Legal Council; chairman of the Jamaican Council for Human Rights; foundation member and chairman of Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections; editor of the Jamaican Law Reports and Law Reports of the Eastern Caribbean States; and deputy chairman of the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission.

Dr Barnett has served in all areas with marked distinction and in 1999 was awarded the Order of Jamaica, in recognition of his sterling contribution to the field of law in the region.

He has become an emblem of uprightness, decency, honesty and impeccable integrity. His dedication to service has positively impacted our profession for many decades and will continue to do for many more to come. Indeed, he is a lawyer's lawyer. 'Dr B', as some affectionately call him, may be small in stature but he has a big heart. He is a family man who has been married to his wife, Madge, for over 60 years. He is also a devout Christian who has worshipped at the same Anglican Church for many decades, where he serves with

humility and generosity.

This column craves the indulgence of its readers to take the opportunity to publicly salute this giant legal luminary and mentor to so many, the Honourable Dr Lloyd Barnett, OJ, on his retirement from the General Legal Council.

I wish for him and his dear wife good health and long life filled with peace and contentment.