Eminent Caribbean Jurists: Legendary Caribbean Legal Practitioners

The 3rd Instalment in the Academy’s Eminent Caribbean Jurists (ECJ) series focused on honoring legendary Caribbean legal practitioners (LCLP). The task of compiling a list of courtroom practitioners across the region capable of receiving such a title was given to a Selection and Advisory Committee (S&AC). The S&AC was established by invitation from the LCLP project’s joint co-chairs, Hon. Mr. Justice Winston Anderson, and Hon. Mr. Justice Denys Barrow S.C. The membership of the Committee was as follows: Hon. Mr. Justice Winston Anderson (Jamaica); Hon. Mr. Justice Denys Barrow S.C. (Belize), Hon. Mr. Justice Andrew Burgess (Barbados), Hon. Chief Justice Louise Esther Blenman (Guyana), Dr. The Hon. Lloyd Barnett (Jamaica), Ms. E. Ann Henry K.C. (Antigua and Barbuda), Mrs. Jacqueline Samuels-Brown K.C. (Jamaica), Mr. Ruggles Ferguson K.C. (Grenada), Ms. Sophia Chote S.C. (Trinidad and Tobago), Meester Elleson Fraenk (Suriname), Ms. Pauline Chase (Guyana), Professor Bridget Brereton (Trinidad and Tobago), Ms. Jacinth Smith (Barbados) and Mr. John Coombs (St. Vincent and the Grenadines).

The first meeting of the Committee was convened on 27 September 2022, and at the second meeting, held on 26 October 2022, the criteria for nominating persons for the LCLP Award were confirmed. The S&AC received and considered one hundred and fifteen (115) nominations. The Committee met ten (10) times mostly to consider the merits of the nominations. The Sub-committee met once. From the one hundred and fifteen (115) nominations, forty-eight (48) Awardees were selected from virtually all of the jurisdictions of the Caribbean Community.