The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has hailed the late Justice Désirée Bernard – a member of its inaugural bench in 2005 – as a pioneering jurist.
Justice Bernard passed away in Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday at the age of 85.
In a statement today, the CCJ said that the judge provided “exemplary service” to the Court until her retirement in 2014.
CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders observed that “it is well nigh impossible that the region will ever produce another trailblazer as Justice Bernard was. She was a tremendous role model and while it is tempting to focus on her contribution in inspiring generations of women regionally and internationally, her influence in the region generally, in the creation of the (Organisation of Commonwealth Caribbean Bar Associations) and in the development of our Caribbean jurisprudence, must not be forgotten. It was an absolute privilege and pleasure to work alongside her.”
As the first female jurist on the CCJ Bench, Justice Bernard was also a source of inspiration to others in the judicial fraternity, the release said. Justice Maureen Rajnauth-Lee was one such mentee. She reminisced “Justice Bernard was a great friend, mentor, mother, and sister to all. She was the first Patron of the Caribbean Association of Women Judges. We stand on her shoulders. What amazed me most about Justice Bernard was that she was so self-effacing. She just couldn’t understand why we thought so much of her. Kindness and humility were her virtues. May she rest in peace, and may her memory be a blessing.”
For her contribution to the improvement of the status of women and to the development and practice of law, the CCJ noted that Justice Bernard received several awards, the most notable being the Cacique Crown of Honour, and the Order of Roraima, Guyana’s third and second highest national awards, respectively. In July 2005, she was awarded the CARICOM Triennial Award for Women. She was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) by The University of the West Indies in November 2007. In February 2011, Justice Bernard was appointed a judge of the Inter-American Development Bank Administrative Tribunal. In February 2023, the University of Guyana visited in person to confer on her an honorary Doctor of Letters in Trinidad and Tobago where she resided.
The CCJ said that it will open a condolence book to the public on Wednesday, 8th April 2024 in recognition of Justice Bernard’s sterling contributions.
“We salute this pioneering jurist and mourn the loss with her family and friends. May she rest in peace”, it said.