Three lawyers with a total of 115 years practice appointed QC’s

Dr. Henry Browne QC (photo courtesy of Willet’s Photo)

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JULY 24TH 2012 (CUOPM) – Two Nevisians and a Kittitian with a total of 115 years of practicing law, have been elevated to the rank of Her Majesty’s Counsel.

Nevisian Sir Hugh Rawlins, Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court recommended the appointment of Kittitian John Emile Ferdinand and Nevisians Dr. Henry Leonard O’Grenville Stogumber Browne and Theodore Luther Hobson, as Her Majesty’s Counsel to His Excellency the Governor General Dr. Sir Cuthbert Sebastian.

Sir Hugh informed Sir Cuthbert that the recommendations are made after a process which was guided by a Protocol dated 26th November 2010.

“This Protocol was the result of discussions and a final synopsis which involved legal practitioners from the public and private bars from all of the Member States of the Court. It was subsequently approved by the Conference of the Heads of Government of all the Member States,” the Chief Justice told the Governor General.

Having obtained an Undertaking “not to perform any of the functions, which in England are performed by a Solicitor and are not performed by a Barrister-at-Law,” from Messrs. Ferdinand, Browne and Hobson, His Excellency the Governor General Dr. Sir Cuthbert Sebastian has signed the appropriate Letters Patent appointing each of them “One of Her Majesty’s Counsel for Our States and Colonies to which the jurisdiction of The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court extends.’

Born in Nevis, Dr. Henry Browne attended the Charlestown Secondary School, the Basseterre Senior High School before going to the University of the West Indies, Barbados, where he obtained a Bachelor of Law degree with Upper Second Class Honours. He obtained the Certificate of Legal Education from the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad in 1975 and the Doctor of Philosophy from Rockwell University in 1983.

He was admitted to the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar on October 6, 1975 and subsequently admitted to practice in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Tortola and Montserrat.

Dr. Browne has served as Public Relations Officer to First Premier of St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla and First National Hero, the Right Excellent Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw from June 1973 to October 1973; Crown Counsel, 1975 to 1980; Clerk of the House of Assembly,1978 to 1980; Member of the National Assembly, St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, 1984 to 1989; Deputy Political Leader of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party, 1984 to1990 and Member of the Constituency Boundaries Commission, 1988 to 1989.

He attended the Constitutional Conference at Marlborough House, London for the Independence Talks, served as Legal Adviser to the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party in 1982 and Secretary of the OECS Bar Association from 1991 to 1993.

Dr. Browne is married to Dr. Thelma Phillip-Browne.

Mr. Emile Ferdinand QC (photo courtesy of Willet’s Photo)

Emile Ferdinand was born on St. Kitts and attended the Convent High School and the Basseterre Senior High School.

A St. Kitts and Nevis State Scholar, Mr. Ferdinand obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree with honours from the University of the West Indies, Barbados in 1981.

He obtained the Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica in 1983 and was admitted to practice that same year.

A United Kingdom Commonwealth Scholar, he obtained his Masters of Laws Degree from Cambridge University in 1986.

Mr. Ferdinand has practiced in St. Kitts and Nevis and has appeared in the Courts in Antigua, Grenada and Montserrat.

He has acted as a High Court Judge in 2004 and is a Member of the Caribbean Court of Justice Regional Judicial & Legal Services Commission.

He served as Crown Counsel from 1983 to 1985 and tutored in the Law Challenge Programme, UWI Extra-mural Department (1983 to 1985); Chairman, Council of Legal Education(2005 to 2007); Executive Committee member (2005 to 2010) and Bar Association representative (1998 to present).

Mr. Ferdinand is a former President of the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association (1997 to 2000); Vice President of the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce (1996 to1998); President of the Rotary Club of St. Kitts (1995 to 1996), a member since 1988 and a former Board member of the Social Security Board).

Mr. Ferdinand is married to Dr. Kathleen Allen-Ferdinand.

Mr. Theodore Hobson QC

Theodore Hobson of Nevis was called to the Middle Temple in England in 1963 and was admitted to practice in St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla in 1963, Jamaica, 1974 and the British Virgin Islands in 1984.

He has served as Legal Assistant, Attorney General’s Chamber, St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, 1964 to 1966;Deputy Commissioner, Commission for the Eastern Caribbean States in London,1968 to 1972; Legal Officer, Department of Titles, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Jamaica, 1972 to 1974 and Legal Adviser, Matalon Group of Companies, 1974 to 1977.

Mr. Hobson also served as Legal Adviser, Nevis Island Administration, 2001 to 2006.

He is a member of the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association (1963 to present; President 1990 to 1993 and Vice President (2009 to present); member Commonwealth Lawyer’ Association 1993 to present; Vice President – Organisation of Commonwealth Caribbean Bar Association (19943 to 1998) and Member (1990 to present).

He is married to Daphne Hobson and two sons and a daughter.