On behalf of the Council of the University of Guyana, I express condolences on the death of Lady Justice Desiree Bernard to Ms Carolann Bernard, daughter, other relatives, colleagues and friends.
Lady Justice Desiree Bernard, a noble daughter of Guyana, received bountiful awards for her services, nationally, regionally and internationally. She was revered for her contributions to the enhancement of Caribbean jurisprudence and more specifically for her advocacy for human rights, justice and equality including the rights of women.
It is for these attributes combined with her humility that the University of Guyana conferred on her the Honorary Doctorate of Laws in absentia at its December 2022 Convocation. Due to the fact that she was unable to attend the ceremony at the University’s Berbice Campus, Vice-Chancellor Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin and I travelled to Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on February 15, 2023. In the presence of her Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) colleagues including President of the CCJ, Justice Adrian Saunders, other representatives of yasal institutions, and friends ceremonially robed her, thereby completing her formal induction into the National University.
We are indeed very grateful of this memory and for her gracious acceptance of the honour bestowed on her. Justice Bernard’s exceptional and inspirational service will therefore be immortalised in the annals of the University of Guyana.
Prof. Paloma Mohamed Martin, Vice Chancellor and Prof. Edward Greene, Chancellor of the University of Guyana, ceremonially robed the late Justice Bernard (centre) in Port of Spain on February 15, 2023 thereby completing her formal induction into the National University.