RAMSAYLloyd Williams , Senior Associate Editor
IAN RAMSAY was born in Hope Bay, Portland. His parents were teachers and he went to school at Nazareth Elementary, Manchester, and Munro College (high school), St. Elizabeth. He won a Jamaica Centenary Scholarship and studied at Cambridge University, England, where he earned the M.A. and the LL.M. degrees. He was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn, London, on June 28, 1955 and was admitted to practise as a barrister-at-law in Jamaica on January 26, 1956. After a stint in the public service he went into private practice.
Mr. Ramsay's career in criminal law took off and zoomed from then on and in 1965, 10 years after he was admitted to practise, he became a Queen's Counsel at age 35, the youngest in Jamaica to-date. In 1969 he gave up this distinguished honour to protest what was, in his view, the unjust administration of justice and the behaviour of a particular judge in the case, The Queen v. Rafic Warwar, in which he appeared.
But this never really affected his progress as other lawyers and judges alike continued to treat him as Queen's Counsel anyway. His successes at the Bar increased and his practice grew.
In 1978 Ian Ramsay created legal history when he was again appointed Q.C., the first lawyer in Jamaica to have earned that distinction.
During his 46 years at the Bar Mr. Ramsay was involved in most of the landmark and high-profile criminal cases in Jamaica, and in others elsewhere in the Caribbean, including the Maurice Bishop murder case, his skill as an advocate invariably resulting in his clients' acquittal, vindication and or preservation of their freedom.
Over the years, a great many lawyers, some of whom are now at the top of their profession, worked in his chambers at 35 Church Street, downtown Kingston, Among them are Howard Hamilton, Q.C., Public Defender, A.J. Nicholson, Q.C., Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Delano Harrison, Q.C., Carlton Williams and Patrick Anderson.
Mr. Ramsay was one of the founding members of the Advocates' Association of Jamaica and served as its first president from 1991 to 1996. On June 26, 2002 the Advocates' Association presented a citation to him, describing him as "the advocates' advocate" and on June 28 the Jamaican Bar Association honoured him similarly, lauding him as "advocate extraordinaire, leader exemplar, teacher, man of principle and fiend", and Sir Howard Cooke, Governor-General presented him with the insignia of the Order of Jamaica.
Ian Ramsay was not only "the lawyers' lawyer", but he was a nice person, in and out of court, always approachable and polite, never pompous, arrogant or rude.
Before he became ill he had headed the legal team which represented the Jamaica Constabulary before the West Kingston Commission of Enquiry.
Although Mr. Ramsay's professional career was in criminal law, he gave public service in other areas. He was assistant secretary of the Jamaica Labour Party in 1960, was elected a Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation Councillor in that year, was chairman of the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation at one time, of the Jamaica Broadcasting Authority from 1972 to 1973 and he served as a Senator from 1974 to 1976.
He wrote letters to this newspaper frequently and his topics could range from the law to "Contradictions of our society", "Abject surrender of all we have achieved", to the plight of prisoners. A letter on the latter subject in November 1997 earned him The Gleaner's "Silver Pen Award".
Ian McDonald Ramsay, born in Hope Bay, Portland on June 2, 1930, died on July 26, 2002. He is survived by Rosa, children Eric and Margaret (Hale), Tania and Patrick; grandchildren Benjamin, Matthew, Sarah, Alex, Lauren and Samantha; sisters Jasmine, Daphne, Beryl, Sadie-May; brothers Geoffrey and Ken, and other relatives.
Following are some of the tributes paid to him yesterday:
THE SENATE
Senator A. J. Nicholson, Q.C., Minister of Justice and Attorney-General:
"With his passing I must say we have lost a gem of an advocate. He was without peer in Jamaica and the region. Since Independence, he has been our prime advocate at the Bar. We have lost a wonderful soul."
SENATOR OSWALD HARDING,Q.C.:
"He'll be remembered as a great advocate. We'll miss him greatly."
THE PRIME MINISTER
Prime Minister P.J.Patterson paid the following tribute to Mr. Ramsay:
"I am deeply saddened by the passing of the Honourable Ian Ramsay, Q.C.
"Mr. Ramsay led a full life, epitomised by the unending pursuit of excellence. The several national and professional honours are testimony to his extraordinary achievements.
"He was uncompromising in his quest for fair play and justice, and allowed no obstacle of any kind or from any quarter to stand in his way.
"There is no one in the legal fraternity or in any other sphere of society in Jamaica or the wider Caribbean, who has met, worked with or faced Ian Ramsay in the courtroom, who would argue with the view that he was a 'lawyer's lawyer'.
"Always impeccably attired, well prepared and armed with an almost incomparable knowledge of the law, biting sarcasm, disarming wit and supreme command of the English language, Ian Ramsay became a legendary advocate of the law.
"Ian Ramsay did not confine himself to the promulgation of the law. After a brief sojourn... in... the Jamaica Labour Party, he returned to the courtroom where he said 'his views and his opinions would be better regarded'.
"I commend a reflection on this life of service and principle to my fellow Jamaicans, but particularly to the younger generation, and to the more recent members of the legal fraternity.
"Ian Ramsay, Q.C., will be sorely missed and his place will be difficult to fill.
"I have lost a dear friend and a close personal colleague.
"I offer my sincere condolences to his family members and all those who worked so closely with him in the legal arena."
THE JLP LEADER
Edward Seaga, JLP leader:
"It is with much sadness that we learned of the passing of one of Jamaica's most distinguished lawyers, Ian McDonald Ramsay.
"Ian Ramsay was a most valued member of the Jamaica Labour Party, a pre-eminent lawyer of his generation. The quintessential advocate, Ian Ramsay was a former KSAC Councillor and Senator. He was quite eloquent, had an open style and pleaded his case with much passion.
"He was made a Queen's Counsel at young age. He however resigned as Queen's Counsel on matters he considered of principle. At the urgings of his professional colleagues, he once again accepted preferment of Queen's Counsel. He was recently awarded the Order of Jamaica for his distinguished service to the legal profession. He will long be remembered for his style and his legal acumen." On behalf of the officers and members of the JLP, Mr. Seaga conveyed to Mr. Ramsay's children, family and friends, sincere condolences.
THE PNP:
"The People's National Party regrets the passing of the Hon. Ian Ramsay, O.J., a distinguished jurist and an outstanding Jamaican.
Mrs. Maxine Henry-Wilson, the PNP's general secretary, described Mr. Ramsay as one of the foremost legal minds produced by Jamaica. She observed that in addition to the skills and integrity he had established, Mr. Ramsay remained a forthright Jamaican who could be counted on to speak his mind at all times.
She said that Mr. Ramsay would long be remembered for his advocacy which he had developed to an art form.
Mrs. Henry-Wilson expressed condolences to Mr. Ramsay's family and colleagues.
BERT SAMUELS
From Bert Samuels, attorney-at-law:
"Ian Ramsay, the brilliant advocate, was a phoenix par excellence and shining star at the Bar whose time in and outside of the courtroom will long be remembered. The worth of a man's brilliance cannot be measured by his scholastic achievements only, but the use to which he has put this gift of the mind.
"Ramsay's passion with and labour for the preservation of the rights of the defendants is the boldest star in his rich legacy.
"My esteemed privilege was to work with, and at other times alongside this undefeated champion at the criminal Bar. He was always willing to share his knowledge with the young and often, senior members of the Bar which he treated as his duty. As a consequence of this sharing, there is and will always be part of Ian in the several courts of the land. Because he lives on, we will not mourn his passing, rather we humbly receive from him the baton in the march for justice which he so nobly fought for".
