An official ribbon cutting ceremony was held this weekend for the new police and court building in honour of lawyer and political activist Dame Lois Browne Evans.Family, friends and politicians paid tribute to the iconic figure who was “dedicated to improving the lives of every Bermudian through the dual avenues of law and politics,” said daughter Tina Evans-Caines.Dame Lois was the Island’s first female barrister, female Attorney General and female Opposition Leader. She died in 2007, at age 79, of a suspected stroke.The Dame Lois Browne Evans building on Court Street opened its doors in April, six months later than planned and at a cost of $26 million more than initially expected.Deputy Premier and Public Works Minister Derrick Burgess called the project “the largest and by far the most complex in recent years”.He said he was overjoyed to see it reach fruition and pointed out that the former Magistrates’ Court and Hamilton Police Station were inadequate to meet the Island’s needs.In addition to being named after Dame Lois, the new building features a life-sized bronze sculpture, created by famed American Sculptor Zenos Frudakis, of her dressed in barrister’s wig and gown.Premier Paula Cox said the impact of a statue as a way to immortalise Dame Lois “cannot be underestimated”.“I am sure that for many it will become a touchstone in the conduct of justice in our community,” she added.Included as one of the speakers at this weekend’s ceremony, daughter Mrs Evans-Caines told of her mother’s professional passion and legacy.She said: “Just as much as she loved politics, Dame Lois was proud of her legal profession. There wasn’t a day that went by that she wasn’t dispensing legal advice or sought out for her legal opinion. The law was her introduction into the world of politics and the foundation on which her political activity was built.“From the corner of Court & Church Streets, to the corner of Court & Victoria Streets, she practised law for more than five decades. And from one end of this Island to the other you’ll find people who bear witness to the positive impact her law practice had on their lives.”On behalf of her family she thanked both the current and previous government administration for its commitment to recognising Dame Lois’ lifelong service to the people of Bermuda.“Thank you Premier and people of Bermuda for honouring and preserving her legacy with this permanent tribute ...“Both this building that bears her name, and this statue of her likeness, will forever be a reminder that while justice may be blind to race, social standing, political beliefs and all those other things that get in the way of our accepting one another outside these doors, inside these doors a watchful pair of eyes stands as safeguard for the ideals on which the very system she loved was built.”Useful website: www.gov.bm