By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson offered her condolences Thursday on the death of retired Supreme Court Justice Ricardo Marques. Justice Marques died on Thursday.

She recalled that Justice Marques came to The Bahamas in the early 1980s to work at the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG).

"He was a well educated man, who loved the law and possessed a deep sense of justice," she said. "Ricardo Marques was an outstanding and highly skilled legislative draftsman who became the Director of Legal Affairs (DLA) at a time that the DLA was in charge of all work in OAG, including criminal work. After serving as the DLA, he was appointed Judge of the Supreme Court. Upon his retirement from the Bench he was appointed the Law Reform Commissioner. In each of these Offices Justice Marques served with distinction. Those who encountered him will recall his love for the law, attention to detail, delight in mentoring young lawyers and courtesy towards all whom he encountered. I was so delighted when he agreed to serve as a Consultant at the OAG while I was the A-G. Justice Marques, although, 'retired,' possessed abundant energy. He worked hard, thoroughly researched matters, benchmarked Bills that he and his team drafted and, importantly, he continued to mentor younger lawyers. Justice Marques made tremendous contributions to Bahamian jurisprudence and the Rule of Law, for which The Bahamas will be forever grateful."

Former Court of Appeal President Dame Anita Allen also paid tribute to him yesterday.

"Justice Marques was soft spoken and personable; genteel, but firm; and although he was a very private man, he spoke effusively about his wife Betty, his children and grandchildren," she said.

"Suffice it to say, many of the statutes drafted by Justice Marques are still part of our law, and his judgments stand as beacons of the legal issues distilled therein. He was therefore a solid contributor to the development of the statute law of the Bahamas, and of Bahamian jurisprudence."

"Inexorably, Justice Marques' greatest contribution was his mentorship of scores of Bahamian lawyers who now hold, or formerly held, top positions in the Legal Department, in the Supreme Court, and indeed, in the Court of Appeal. Through these professionals, his legacy of dedicated service, attainment of excellence, and commitment to hard work will continue to be emulated, and will enure to the benefit of the legal system and the administration of justice in the Bahamas for the foreseeable future."