Dear Editor,

I hereby respectfully pay tribute to an august gentleman and fine legal luminary who has passed away, Cecil Kennard, my good friend, neighbour, colleague and fellow prosecutor of the DPP Chambers before he became a Judge and Chancellor of the Judiciary.

I joined the Chambers of the DPP in the year 1966 where I met Cecil, together with other gentlemen, including Richard Hector — the man who bowled the great Len Hutton for a duck at Bourda; Laurie Ganpat Singh, Godfrey Persaud, James Patterson under the DPP; Emanuel Ramao, Mr. Gonsalves-Shabola as Deputy DPP. We were a fine fraternity of enthusiastic lawyers prosecuting on behalf of the State. At that time, we worked on Saturdays also.

Cecil was an outstanding prosecutor, always well prepared and thorough. He prosecuted some remarkable murder cases together with fraud cases and robbery with violence cases. His gentleness and mannerly conduct at the Bar with his attractive personality spontaneously attracted the women jurors of the panel. Whether that was part of his advocacy and persuasion to a guilty verdict remains unknown.

Mr. Gonsalves-Shabola was always ready and willing to help us prosecutors, for we rushed to him in the afternoon after the adjournments to discuss our legal problems during the day at court and to receive guidance thereto. On Saturdays at 10am, all of us met informally in his Chambers to discuss legal problems and evidential issues that we were confronted with during the week, and advise on the presentation of our cases. Hence, together, we learnt from each other the legal problems or issues with solutions to them.

My friend and brother, Cecil Kennard, was a very outstanding prosecutor, as proven when he prosecuted what was known as the Kitty Murder Case. We crossed swords with the finest legal minds of the Bar, including the famous legal luminary, Mr. J. O. F Haynes, Fred Wills, J.T Clarke and the Luckhoo Chambers; among Judges the renowned Chief Justice J.A. Luckhoo, Mr. Akbar Khan, Justice Fraser, Justice Gordon, Justice Date, Stanley Hardyal, Bhairo Prasad, Justice Kenneth George, and others.

I clearly recall certain prisoners when they heard that Cecil Kennard is the prosecutor, prisoners take sick leave for they were fearful of him prosecuting due to likely verdicts of guilty.

Cecil became a Judge of the High Court and Chief Justice and he was fair, firm and thorough, yet positive and resolute. Parties to civil claims never spoke of an unjust result when he presided. Cecil and I were buddy friends during our days of prosecution, dining, wining, discussing law, cricket. He talked of horses but I knew very little of it. Cecil emerged from an independent Bushlot family of East Corentyne where his parents owned both coconut and rice estates. His uncle, Gavin Kennard, was tall and handsome and he became Agriculture Minister and, socially, he was known as the Prince.
Cecil became Chancellor of the Judiciary and, as Chancellor, his management style, his positive administrative skill and ability in supervising the magistrates, as he was severe in his discipline when it comes to laxity. The reams of decisions left on the Appellate Court in both Civil and the Criminal Law will enrich our judicial library and enhance the legal minds of the Bar. He was firm, fair and fearless, yet kind, charming, sociable and a great legal luminary on the firmament of the legal profession and judiciary. His name shall reign through the corridor of judicial history as an outstanding judicial officer and citizen.

Eternal rest give unto Cecil’s soul oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

Fraternally,

Jailall Kissoon,
Attorney-at-Law