BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRO-SIERRA LEONEAN " BERTHAN MACAULAY Q.C. " AN ESTEEM LAWYER AND JUSTICE WHO LEFT THE SHORES OF AFRICA AND JAMAICA GAIN A GIANT AND ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK HEROES "

BLACK        SOCIAL               HISTORY                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Sierra Leone's Berthan Macaulay is laid to Rest: A REPORT FROM THE DIASPORA By Arnold Gordon I recently spent two weeks in Jamaica where I attended the funeral of Berthan Macaulay QC. I did not realise the high esteem in which he was held not only in the legal circles but in all works of life. His widow Margarette received a letter of condolence from the former Prime Minister of the country in which he mentioned the contribution that Berthan made to constitutional law not only in Jamaica but in the Caribbean as a whole, where he was well known and respected. The late man lying in state in Jamaica What came over and over again in tributes from all works of life were the words ‘Sierra Leone’s loss was Jamaica’s gain’. It was a great tribute to the man that friends and relatives came to his funeral to pay their respects from Sierra Leone, the United Kingdom, the Gambia, various cities in the USA, Canada, Bahamas, Belize and various Caribbean islands. Friends Carrying the Coffin Amongst those from Sierra Leone was his daughter, Avril Cummings, his son, Berthan jr, his cousin Mr. Justice Donald Macaulay (retired) his sister-in-law Mrs. Antoinette Fergusson. From the USA came his cousin Prince Taylor-Lewis, Milly Terry, Josephine Beoku-Betts, Mrs. Daphne Momoh and her daughter Karen and grandson. From Canada arrived a former ward of the late man, Isatu Bah and her teenage daughter. From Belize his good friend and colleague Hon. Mr. Justice Abdulai Conteh and his wife Radia who gave one of the tributes as well as Martin Marriot an old friend. Dr. Abdulai Conteh & Wife amongst the crowd of mourners Apart from Avril and Berthan, his four other daughters were there. They included Berencia and her husband, who is Chief Justice in the Bahamas and her twin sons, Bertinna and her son, Bernadine and her family and Berette who lives in New York. The service was held in the Catholic Church where Margarette worships, and was ecumenical in spirit. There were prayers by a Muslim Imam, Buddhist chants and prayers and the address was given by an Anglican priest. Tributes were given by his daughter Berette, his grandchildren (one young grandson said he was sad that his grandfather did not live long enough to give him advice about girls when he grows up) and both the Presidents of the Jamaican Bar Association and the Advocates Association. His daughters read passages from the Holy Bible. The late man lying in state in Jamaica In tribute after tribute, speakers painted a picture of Berthan as a consummate intellect and advocate and the kindness he showed to young lawyers. As the current President of the Bar Association of Jamaica said ‘He never resisted from taking different or even unpopular positions as long as he thought they were right. He was tensile in his advocacy and determination.’ "He had a vipers tongue", another lawyer paying tribute said, adding that he was a fighter and fought many legal aid cases so long as he believed in the innocence of the client. He tried several landmark cases both before the local and international courts and some of the cases made legal history. At his request his body was cremated and the ashes will be taken to Freetown later for interment with his parents at Regent. The life of Berthan was celebrated not with sadness but with joy for a life well spent. At the reception the music played and at times danced to, was his favourite: Jazz. The Jamaican culture is very different to ours in Sierra Leone. For example the body is never laid out in the home of the deceased as it is considered bad luck. But we pointed out that it our custom to do so. Also the body is not cremated fully clothed and the family was asked several times whether they wanted him cremated fully dressed. One wonders what would have happened to the clothes if members of the family had not been present. May his soul rest in perfect peace.