??
In one of his last official acts, Governor General, Sir Clifford Husbands, is pictured conferring the title of Knight Bachelor on Professor Emeritus Woodville Marshall, last September. (FP)

This Monday, October 31, Governor General, His Excellency, Sir Clifford Straughn Husbands, GCMG, KA, will retire from office, having served in that capacity since 1996.

The announcement was made today by the Cabinet Office, which said that retired High Court Judge, the Hon. Elliot Belgrave, will act as Governor General from Tuesday, November 1, until further notice.

Eighty-five year old Sir Clifford is Barbados’ sixth Head of State and the longest serving. He assumed the position on June 1, 1996, succeeding Dame Nita Barrow, who died in office on December 19,1995.

Sir Clifford has had a long and distinguished career in Barbados and the Caribbean. A product of the Parry School and Harrison College, he studied law at the Middle Temple, Inns of Court in the UK, and qualified as a Barrister in 1952.

After returning to Barbados, he practised law privately before being appointed to act as Deputy Registrar in 1954; later taking up several legal positions in the English speaking Caribbean.

Sir Clifford returned to Barbados in 1960 and took up duties as Assistant to the Attorney General and Legal Draughtsman. He was appointed Director of Public prosecutions in 1967 and elevated to a Queen’s Counsel in 1968.

He was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court in 1976, and promoted in 1991 as a Justice of Appeal, completing his tenure in 1996. He also acted as Chief Justice and as Governor General prior to acceding to the latter position.

In recognition of his long and outstanding legal and judicial service to Barbados, Sir Clifford was awarded the Gold Crown of Merit in 1986 and a Companion of Honour in 1989.He received the highest national honour in1995 when he was made a Knight of St. Andrew.

His last major function was to present the Queen’s Birthday Honours to six deserving Barbadians in September.

ciobigs@barbados.gov.bb

Pin It on Pinterest