Legal fraternity mourns loss of High Court Judge

Senior legal practitioners are still mourning the death of retired High Court judge Justice Frederick Bruce-Lyle, who passed away last Thursday in Trinidad and Tobago.

“It’s a very, very, sad time for the entire bar in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Justice Bruce-Lyle was a household name,” President of the Bar Association René Baptiste told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday.{{more}}

Baptiste described Justice Bruce-Lyle as well respected by the entire bar and a person of exceptional scholarship.

“[The] Temperament that he displayed as holding such high judicial office is one that should be followed by persons who have that dream to sit on bench one day in our court,” she remarked.

“I have heard nothing other than accolades about his scholarship and his demeanour and his interest especially for the younger members of the bar and they are very, very sad.”

According to Baptiste, Magistrate Ricky Bernette, who sits at the Georgetown Magistrate Court served as the Judge’s clerk for many years, who, she said Bruce-Lyle was like mentor to Bernette.

Baptiste further went on to describe Bruce-Lyle as a well-respected member of the profession and “a very private person in many ways”.

The seasoned law practitioner recalled meeting Bruce-Lyle in the late 80s when she had just opened her law office while adding that they often held conversation via telephone and in 2014 Bruce-Lyle encouraged her to become president of the bar.

“I am very very saddened, it’s unexpected,” remarked senior lawyer Stanley ‘Stalky’ John QC who described Bruce-Lyle as a fine judge who comes from a tradition of judges in his family.

John said Bruce-Lyle was an excellent person with whom he had many long conversations about family and the administration of justice.

“I always consider him to be of the highest integrity and learned in the law and I’m certainly grieved by his passing… It still hasn’t sunk in to my consciousness as yet” the barrister told SEARCHLIGHT.

John said he had known Bruce-Lyle since he first came to St Vincent, and has always had an excellent relationship with him.

“My sympathies go out to Euchrista and their daughters… not only my sympathy but the sympathy of myself and my family and members in his chambers.” He added.

No information has been released as to the cause of Bruce-Lyle’s death; however Baptiste has stated that she has reached out through government channels and was told she would be kept up to date.