‘Father of the Bar’ Ramon Alberga has died

Cayman’s legal doyen, Ramon Douglas Alberga, KC, who was affectionately known as  the ‘Father of the Cayman Islands Bar’, has died at the age of 96.

His death has been met with sadness throughout Cayman’s legal fraternity, his family, friends and the wider community.

Alberga, also known as ‘the lawyer’s lawyer’, was said to have died peacefully on Tuesday, 23 Jan.

He was initially called to the English Bar in Middle Temple, London, UK, in 1951. Shortly thereafter he was called to the Jamaica Bar where he would go on to practise for 25 years.

He first appeared before Cayman’s Grand Court in 1964, having been instructed by the late William Walker before permanently relocating to Grand Cayman in 1967, where he practised for another 35 years.

“His contribution to the development of the jurisprudence in this jurisdiction cannot be overstated and is duly deserving of the special place of honor which he held each year at the ceremony to mark the opening of the legal year,” said Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale, in a statement released by the judiciary.

Echoing the chief justice’s sentiments, the Cayman Islands Legal Practitioners Association also expressed their profound respect for Alberga and their sadness at his passing.

“Mr. Alberga was highly respected and revered by members of legal communities well beyond the shores of the Cayman Islands,” said CILPA president Richard Barton. “His outstanding intellect and exemplary character are two of the qualities that earned him the moniker ‘Father of the Cayman Islands Bar’.”

His ailing health prevented him from attending this year’s Grand Court opening, an unfortunate absence that did not go unnoticed.

The Father of the Bar

Alberga’s towering legal legacy as a barrister was celebrated in 2011 to mark his 60th anniversary of being called to the Bar, at which time his portrait was unveiled on the second floor of the main courts building.

Inscribed beneath the picture, which hangs to this day, are the words, ‘Father of the Bar’, ‘The Lawyer’s Lawyer’ and ‘Friend of the Court’.

During that ceremony, Alberga expressed his pleasure at the “monumental and significant development of justice in Cayman”.

Alberga, who is also a former Cayman Islands Law Society president, is said to have been instrumental in the creation of the Cayman Islands Law Reports, which were first published in 1987 and comprised most of his own vast private collection of judgments, some of which dated back to 1952.

“From the 1980s through to December 2020, he served faithfully for more than forty years as consulting editor of the Law Reports,” noted Ramsay-Hale. “To this he brought his considerable legal experience, eye for detail and dedicated energy. This is work which has been of much benefit to the Courts and the legal and wider community here and in other jurisdictions.”

In a nod of respect, a moment of silence was held at the court on Wednesday, 24 Jan.