…Supreme Court, Bar Association

IN expressing deep sadness at the passing of Keith S. Massiah, SC, OR, Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, said the late Chancellor and Attorney General served his country with distinction.

“The late Mr. Massiah dedicated his life to the law and served his country with distinction. His long and illustrious career saw him holding the positions of Chancellor of the Judiciary, Attorney General and Professor of Law,” Justice Cummings-Edwards said in a statement on Monday.

Massiah, 93, died on Friday, April 24, 2020 at a city hospital. He served as the Chancellor of Judiciary from 1984–1988. The legal luminary also served as the country’s Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs from 1988-1992.

“He was a true legal luminary whose indelible contribution to the jurisprudence of Guyana is known throughout the Caribbean and the Commonwealth.  He will always be remembered for his intellectual prowess, and his rich, passionate and poetic judgments. His many landmark judgments in constitutional and public law, as well as criminal cases, changed the legal landscape of Guyana,” the Chancellor said.

It was noted that as Chancellor of the Judiciary, Massiah conducted himself and his court with admirable grace, decorum and integrity. “He was an inspiration to us all,” Justice Cummings-Edwards said, while noting that the legal fraternity has lost a great jurist, orator, teacher and friend.

A special Full Court sitting will be convened to honour the memory and legacy of Massiah when public health conditions permit. On behalf of the Judiciary, the Chancellor expressed heartfelt condolences to Massiah’s wife, children and other relatives and friends.

On Sunday, the Ministry of the Presidency, on behalf of President David Granger, expressed heartfelt sympathy to Massiah’s wife, Maureen Massiah, CCH, his three children, three grand-children, other relatives and friends.

In that statement, the President acknowledged that the former Chancellor was awarded Guyana’s second highest honour — the Order of Roraima (OR) — for service of an exceptionally high quality and beyond the normal call of duty in the administration of Justice and in the field of law.

The Bar Council of the Bar Association of Guyana also expressed deep sadness at the passing of Senior Counsel Massiah, while hailing him as an exemplary legal luminary.
“The Judiciary in Guyana, in the embodiment of the Bench, may at first glance, be seen to be the substantial beneficiary of the service of the former Chancellor. However, a closer examination of the judicial service of the former Chancellor demonstrates that both the Bench and the Bar benefitted simultaneously from his service.

A reading of any judgment written by the former Chancellor highlights the importance of research, scholarship, industry and purity of writing. For those who walk the halls of justice in Guyana, and seek to ascend to the Bench, his is an example to be emulated,” the Bar Council said.

It said Massiah’s shift from the Judiciary to the State as Attorney General is a strong indication that service to the law can be delivered in several ways and through various paths. The Bar Council noted that his most recent call to service was his role in the Department of Law, as a distinguished professor and a former Head of Department.

“His legacy will leave an indelible impression on the manuscripts of his reported judgments, the content of laws passed in his legal service, and the minds of the legal profession in Guyana,” the Bar Council said while emphasising that the country has benefitted significantly from Massiah’s distinguished service. “The chapters of his legal memoirs may have come to an end, the pages will continue to be turned,” it said, while expressing its deepest condolences to Massiah’s family and friends.