February 23, 2014

Dear Sir,

It is with tremendous sadness that I have learned of the passing of our former Chief Justice Sir Richard Ground. Having had the privilege of appearing before him on numerous occasions as a member of the Bermuda Bar, I can say hand on heart that he was a good man who dispensed justice firmly with neither fear nor favour. He revolutionised the administrative running of our Courts by “making the trains run on time”.

He gave decisions with great clarity of thought and words. He kept us lawyers’ on their toes; if you were appearing before him even on the most mundane legal matter, you were sure to review your Rules of Court beforehand to avoid feeling foolish before him.

He was an English white Chief Justice who worked tirelessly in our criminal courts and was never accused of racist acts or thought. He paved the way for our celebrated black Bermudian current Chief Justice, Ian Kawaley, and the handover of the role from one to the other in the public’s perception was seamless and welcoming. Richard Ground was not just about law. His passion for ornithology, fly fishing and nature generally was known to all. I once asked him whether he had seen the wonderful BBC DVD play about the Roman Emperors, “I, Claudius”. He said he had enjoyed it thoroughly save that the actors’ hairstyles in Episode 3 had been portrayed in error; they were 100 years before their time as a matter of historical fact. How do you answer that?

The Bermuda Bar has been abuzz with the notion that the Chief was apparently coming back after a temporary leave of absence at home in the UK (birdwatching and fishing) to sit as a Justice of Appeal on our Court of Appeal. We were about to start brushing up on our Court of Appeal Rules in anticipation and excitement to once again “get it right” before him. We now mourn our loss along with I am sure many, many people in Bermuda who were fortunate to know him.

God bless his family at this difficult time, we shall remember Richard Ground forever as a stalwart feature of Bermuda’s justice system.

JULIANA SNELLING

Barrister & Attorney, Canterbury Law