September 2011


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Farewell to Dame Bernice

It was with great sadness that The UWI community learned of the passing of UWI stalwart, Dame Bernice Lake on Saturday, after a brief illness. A brilliant legal scholar, Dame Bernice was the first woman in the Eastern Caribbean and the first UWI graduate to be bestowed the distinguished title of Queen’s Counsel. Born in Anguilla, she made her home in Antigua where she established the highly respected chambers, Lake & Kentish with attorney Kendrickson Kentish, following a distinguished career in the diplomatic service of the short-lived West Indies Federation.

Dame Bernice was an expert in constitutional law. Not only was she the main architect of the Anguilla Constitution in 1975, she was part of the team that framed Antigua & Barbuda’s Constitution in 1981. As a member of the Council of The University of the West Indies for many years, she brought her clear, analytical mind and formidable legal skills to bear on the deliberations of that body. The Chancellor, Sir George Alleyne, who chairs the Council, has lauded her quiet dignity and incisive contributions to the discussions.