Former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Cecil Kennard dies at 86

Mar 13, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Cecil Kennard has died at age 86.

Dead, Justice Cecil Kennard.

Kaieteur News understands that Justice Kennard was hospitalised several weeks ago but he died at home just before 02:00hrs on Satuday.
After devoting over 50 years of his life to serving Guyana, Justice Kennard was in 2017 forced to retire from his post as Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), by the then President, David Granger.Before embarking on his career, the former Chancellor had studied Law in the United Kingdom’s prestigious Lincoln’s Inn. He returned to Guyana in 1962 to open a private practice in Berbice, from where he hails.
In 1965, he was appointed State Counsel (prosecutor) in the Director of Public Prosecutions Chambers, before being elevated to senior State Counsel in 1968. He also served as the Guyana Police Force’s legal advisor.
Kennard later served at the Court of Appeal until he became Chancellor of the Judiciary from 1996 to 2002, when he left the Judiciary to take up his position at the PCA where he served until 2017.
During his career, he was the recipient of two national awards, the Order of Roraima, the second highest order and the Cacique Crown of Honour – the third highest order.
Justice Kennard was also the honourary President of the Kennard Memorial Turf Club located at Bush Lot.
Justice Kennard was most famous in the sporting fraternity for hosting his annual Boxing Day horse racing meet, Emancipation Day Horse racing meet and Independence Day meet which were held every year at the club until the pandemic put a halt on the proceedings.
During his stellar career, Justice Kennard would have prosecuted some of the most high-profile cases both in Guyana and Antigua.
In sharing his sympathies on the passing of Justice Kennard, Attorney General (AG), Anil Nandlall, SC, noted that as a judge, he presided over thousands of cases, in particular criminal cases, some being the most famous criminal cases of that era.
“The Guyana Law Reports, the West Indian Law Reports and the Commonwealth Law Reports, have recorded some of the landmark judgments he would have written and rendered during his long and illustrious career. Criminal law was certainly his forte,” he said.
Nandlall added that Kennard’s erudite judgments in areas of the criminal law, such as, acting in concert, corroboration, identification evidence, admissibility of confession statements, right to counsel in criminal trials, have guided legal practitioners and judges for years and will continue to do so long into the future.
“He was always willing to offer advice and guidance to young lawyers. I benefited tremendously in this regard. His hunger to render public service was another of his many phenomenal characteristics. Only a few weeks ago, he and I spoke about his interest to serve in a particular legal office. He certainly has left his indelible print on the fabric of Guyana and indeed, the Caribbean’s criminal jurisprudence,” the AG added in a statement.
Meanwhile, the government via an official statement expressed its deep regret and sadness at Kennard’s passing.
“The passing of such an exemplary son of the soil also creates a void in the sporting fraternity in Guyana, more specifically the Horse Racing and Cricket administrations. He presided over the Judiciary at a time when Guyana experienced major constitutional reforms and the respect and independence of the judiciary was restored,” the statement read.
Added to this, the government extended sincere condolences to Kennard’s family and friends and thanked them for sharing a distinguished husband, father and friend with Guyana.