Some sections of the legal fraternity here and across the
Eastern Caribbean are said to in mourning at the news of the death of retired
Justice Albert Redhead who died on March 4 after a brief period of illness in
Antigua.
Justice on the bench in Montserrat
He has been referred to as a “powerhouse’ while Justice Keith
Thom, the husband of Justice Gertel Thom who sat with Justice Redhead on the
bench to officially mark in Montserrat, said of Justice Redhead a former
colleague was a ‘legal giant’.
“He was my mentor and my friend. I recall the days when I
appeared before him as a prosecutor. Every day was a learning experience,” he
said, adding that he was happy he was able to express his love and respect
directly to Justice Redhead when he was alive.
According to the Antigua Daily Observer, there have been similar
sentiments expressed as tributes poured in throughout the Organisation of
Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Bar Association.
Justice Redhead has served throughout the OECS region. He was
called to the bar of England and Wales in 1972 and two years later he moved to
Saint Kitts and Nevis where he began working as a Crown Counsel. He moved on to
being Registrar of the High Court and also served as a magistrate of the
courts. In 1980 he became the Director of Public Prosecutions for Saint Kitts
and Nevis, before moving on to becoming a High Court Judge of the Eastern
Caribbean Supreme Court ECSC in 1985.
In 1997 he became an Appeals Court Judge of the same court, serving often in Montserrat, retiring in 2003 but was re-appointed more than once thereafter to act as a judge in the High Court in several countries in the OECS.
