Dy of firsts’
must not just be nume to excel at the bar. ge to young female dmission,” Ali-Hack
with Stabroek News was on the verge of the CCJ, Justice about her role as a women. d pave the way… break the barrier and t opened the avenue have been said I led
one interview with k from her office in ernard said she was ieved that the judgwritten would have or the persons who r. nt stood out in her ore important than rd cases in both the urisdictions. But the she did still came to ed a man accused of old niece and Justice iewed such offences y involved children. d guilty and she senears in prison. her journey to makprofession, Justice hat it was never her be a lawyer as she s having the capacigal work. But when A’ levels it was sugve in that direction, se days the profeswo ‒ there was the red the case and the nted it ‒ it was sugn as a solicitor. She s a solicitor with erd in the 1960s, and d her own chambers. omy between barriscame to an end, and fused into one and it became attorneyshat she was asked by the Judiciary Victor erested in becoming Court. keen on it because I d the capacity…but ut it I agreed, and iked it and made the e said.
In 1992 she became the first woman to be appointed a judge in the Court of Appeal and later in 1996 she became the first female Chief Justice. Five years later when she was encouraged to apply for the post of Chancellor, Justice Bernard again hesitated, but she went ahead, and it was the same situation when it was suggested she apply to join the CCJ. She was told the court could not start without a female but acknowledged that she applied only because she was persuaded to do so as “I would not have done it on my own.” However, she continued, “I have no regret, hopefully I led the way for other women to follow.”
In Guyana one of the important ventures she was involved in was the formation of the Georgetown Legal Aid Clinic, holding the post of chairperson of its Board of Directors for many years.
She recalled that she was a practitioner when the clinic was first established and she continued her involvement over the years. She said the formation of the clinic helped those without the means to access representation in the courts.
Her advice to young women was to let excellence be their key word, and that they should always perform to the best of their ability and “don’t cut corners; that works wonders in your success.”