One of Bermuda's best known lawyers, Coles Diel, has died aged 80.

Mr. Diel is renowned in law textbooks for the "Sparks case" which established guidelines aimed at preventing Police getting unfair confessions out of suspects in custody.

He was the father of fellow lawyer Mark Diel, and played a role in many community groups: chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, commodore of Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, director of Mid Ocean Golf Club and on the board of trustees at Port Royal Golf Club. He was a founding member of Smith, Barnard and Diel law firm in the 1970s, retiring as a lawyer in 1997, and later serving as consultant for his son's firm Marshall, Diel and Miers.

In 1963, he won an appeal for defendant Billy Sparks at the UK's Privy Council, after Mr. Sparks had been accused of unlawful carnal knowledge of a young girl.

Mr. Sparks had been very drunk on the night in question and could not remember any of his actions, but had confessed to Police after they claimed they had proof of his alleged crime.

At the Privy Council, Mr. Diel successfully argued that the confession was falsely obtained because officers lied to Mr. Sparks about evidence they claimed they had, but didn't.

He passed away on Saturday morning, following a long lung illness. He leaves wife Diana, sons Mark and Adam and grandchildren.