Lawyers’ Son called to Bar

Last week Mr. Dane Victor Elliott- Hamilton, son of attorneys-at-law Lydia Elliott and Dane Hamilton, was presented by Mr Alberton Richelieu before Justice Francis Belle at the Parliament Building. The following are Hamilton’s remarks: May we proceed. I stand here today as a young man at the beginning of a new chapter, an exciting new chapter in his life. I do not take the honour and privilege bestowed upon me for granted. As a member of this noble profession I am placed in a position of great responsibility and I intend to be a diligent advocate exercising my duties without fear or want of favour so as to ensure the proper administration of justice.

My Lord, I however recognise that I have not arrived at this point on my own and it would be remiss of me not to mention those who have had an impact on my life and have supported me throughout the years.

I must first thank Your Lordship for presiding over these proceedings in the presence of my family, friends and learned colleagues. I am cognisant of the court’s time and the many matters over which you preside. I am therefore grateful that you have taken the time to preside over these proceedings.

My Lord I must thank my parents. Their support throughout the years has helped shape me into the man that I am today. Special mention must be made of my mother Lydia Elliott. My Lord, to use a metaphor for purposes of illustration, my mother has been my senior in life for the past 24 years. As her junior, I have faithfully sought her advice on many occasions, and the person that you see before you is a product of her guidance and wise counsel. I must thank her for the countless sacrifices she has made for me each and every day and for the values that she has instilled in me. I consider it an honour that my senior in life is now my senior at the bar. I must thank her for all that she has done for me.

I must thank my family and friends, some of whom are present in this Honourable Court. Their support and encouragement throughout the years have served me well, particularly in times of self-doubt. I will strive to ensure that the faith and trust and they have placed in me is not misplaced.

My Lord, it would be a disservice if I failed to recognise the members of this noble profession, some of whom are present today. They have provided an example and set the bar to which I must strive to attain.

In particular I would like to thank Mr Alberton Richelieu, not only for presenting me before this Honourable Court this morning but for providing me with the opportunity to work in his chambers every summer for the past four years. His diligence and passion for the law and the practice of law itself have served as examples and encouraged me to be more meticulous in my studies upon my return to school each year. I extend my deepest thanks and gratitude for the immeasurable knowledge and experience that I have gained through our interactions.

Thanks are also due to my teachers at all levels particularly those at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus and the Hugh Wooding Law School.

My Lord, family, friends, I am proud of the fact that I am able to stand in this Honourable Court before you all today. I am eager to uphold the high standards and traditions of this noble profession by acting honestly, ethically, diligently and with integrity. I intend to use this privilege not only for the purpose of advancing the interests of my prospective clients, but to help uphold the rule of law and to ensure that the letter and spirit of the Constitution of Saint Lucia and all laws are respected. I believe that it is my duty as a young attorney to assist in the development and revision of laws which, while once were appropriate, have no place in today’s society.

My Lord, family, friends I thank you all for being in attendance.

My Lord, if I may be of no further assistance to this Honourable Court this is the extent of my remarks.