Opposition MP Shawn Crockwell has been admitted to the Bar by the same judge who jailed him for stealing $600,000 worth of drugs 13 years ago.

Mr. Crockwell described Chief Justice Richard Ground's decision on Friday as "the greatest milestone thus far in my life".

In accepting the UBP MP's application to be a barrister, Mr. Justice Ground told the Bermuda Bar Association: "Thirteen years ago, in February 1996, Mr. Crockwell was sentenced in this very courtroom, by me, to ten years' imprisonment.

"His offence was stealing drug exhibits from the court safe. Mr. Crockwell served about half his sentence, and was then released on licence.

"Since his release Mr. Crockwell has completed his legal education and rebuilt his life. He has worked hard to rehabilitate and restore his character, and the culmination of this was his election as a Member of Parliament for the Pembroke West constituency on 18 December, 2007.

"His affidavit in support of the application lists a formidable number of other achievements as well as an impressive array of community projects in which he has participated."

Mr. Justice Ground said Mr. Crockwell's application had received cross-Party support including affidavits from the Premier and other Cabinet Ministers.

"The Criminal Code says that one of the objectives of sentencing in criminal cases is to assist in rehabilitating offenders, and I have no doubt that everyone involved in the administration of justice subscribes to the importance of that as one of the goals of the criminal justice system," he said.

"We can only genuinely subscribe to that if we are willing to give real effect to rehabilitation when it occurs, and are prepared to welcome back the rehabilitated offender fully into the community."

In balancing the public interest in ensuring the probity of the legal profession, he added: "The balancing exercise has to be tailored to the individual. In conducting it, I take into account the fact that the offences concerned were committed before Mr. Crockwell qualified, and while he was still a young man.

"I take into account the cogent evidence of subsequent rehabilitation. I think that in his particular case, the reputation and interests of his profession will not be damaged, and I take support in that view from the fact that the Bermuda Bar Council does not object to this admission.

"I therefore grant this application, and admit Mr. Crockwell to practise as a barrister and attorney in the courts of Bermuda, and order that he be duly enrolled as such."

Mr. Crockwell was jailed in 1996 after stealing $600,000 worth of heroin from a court safe while working as a Supreme Court clerk.

Since his release, the father-of-three has volunteered with drugs and alcohol prevention groups such as CADA and PRIDE. Mr. Crockwell is currently the United Bermuda Party spokesman on labour and immigration.

He told the Bar hearing: "Although we celebrate my achievement here today the real victory is found in the power of redemption and the hope of restoration.

"It is my sincere wish that my story will inspire someone somewhere, who may have fallen, to recognise that if they believe in themselves, if they believe in sacrifice, hard work and dedication, then they too can achieve their dreams."

Mr. Crockwell said: "My sense of achievement derives from whence I have come and the obstacles I have overcome along the way in order to stand here before your Lordship today."

Referring to his jail sentence as someone "guilty of serious offences", he said: "When I told some people that I still wanted to become a lawyer, I was met with a chorus of opposition and doubt. I was told there were too many hurdles, too many obstacles. I heard statements like 'No institution will admit you'.

"Well that is was the first hurdle I jumped when I was admitted to the Bachelor of Law External Programme at the University of London in 1996."

Mr. Crockwell said that a year later, another former prison inmate also joined the course.

"He has become well known within these honourable courts and is none other than the learned Mr. Charles Richardson. What are the chances of two inmates studying law at that same time? We had the opportunity to engage in both intellectual and legal discourse, and we did so nearly every day, morning till night," said Mr. Crockwell.

"Suffice it to say that we have never seen eye to eye my Lord, especially on political matters, but we always shared a mutual respect for each other and understood the extraordinary opportunity we had to assist one another into turning our transgressions into a triumph.

"We seemed to inspire each other at the right times, and we were competitive my Lord which helped to keep us focused and motivated. But most importantly we believed that our destiny was far greater than our environment and when others told us that we couldn't achieve we would quickly remind each other that we shall achieve.

"I can clearly recall a story when Charles and I, on the eve of examinations, got permission to use the library during the evening recreational period. This area was usually out of bounds at that time and a Divisional Officer who did not know we had permission stormed into the library and began to berate us for being there.

"We explained that we had been given permission by the Principal Officer and that the Divisional Officer should go and check it out.

"Well he left to confirm our position and returned with a visible look of agitation on his face and said, 'You may have permission to be here but I don't know why you're wasting your time studying law as neither one of you will ever step foot in a courtroom as a lawyer'.

"We were stunned and momentarily deflated but for the next few moments we reinforced our vision and vowed that day that we would never allow other peoples' perceptions to become our reality.

'Needless to say my Lord, Charles proved that Divisional Officer wrong in 2006 and I'm proving him wrong today."

Mr. Crockwell achieved his LLB degree with Second Class honours in August 2000 and then attended De Montford University in Leicester to complete his Legal Practice Course in September 2006.

He was then offered a pupillage at Mello Jones & Martin in April 2008.